Batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, EVs - all these are no longer just mechanical assets but rather connected systems. These connectivities create new exposure for consumers and governments in democratic states.

As one report, It’s Time to Treat China’s Connected Energy Systems As a National Security Risk, says,

Foreign automakers and energy operators relying on Chinese batteries are not just importing physical components; they are importing foreign-controlled code that dictates how critical assets operate, and that may be updated based on a vendor’s schedules, through vendor platforms, and under vendor policies.

There is ample evidence that China poses a threat to other states' security, as well as many examples that China uses leverage for economic and political coercion.

It's also important to note the risk of forced labour in Chinese suppky chains.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml -1 points 2 days ago (2 children)

There is actually zero evidence that China poses any threats to other states. It hasn't been at war since the 70s, it doesn't engage in regime change operations, coups, invasions, and occupations. Pretty much all the countries that chose to trade with China have benefited from that significantly. That's the real world.

The only ample evidence we have is that propagandists in the west are really good at manipulating opinions of people who are unable to engage their critical faculties.

It is also important to note the very real, and well documented, forced labour in Canadian supply chains.

UN expert sounds alarm over ‘contemporary forms of slavery’ in Canada https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1140437
Systemic racial discrimination via discriminatory funding causing "Millennium Scoop" class action certified; long-term reform negotiations ongoing. https://decisions.chrt-tcdp.gc.ca/chrt-tcdp/decisions/en/item/521231/index.do?iframe=true
Crisis fueled by human trafficking linked to resource extraction "man camps"; systemic inaction continues. https://afn.ca/all-news/press-releases/assembly-of-first-nations-afn-releases-2025-progress-report-on-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-and-girls-mmiwg-calls-for-justice-highlighting-human-trafficking-crisis/#to-top
Failure to legislate a human right to safe water and diversion of settlement funds from critical services. https://siksikanation.com/carney-government-reaches-new-low-on-first-nation-safe-drinking-water/
Slavery charges against Canadian mining company settled on the sly https://theconversation.com/slavery-charges-against-canadian-mining-company-settled-on-the-sly-148605

[–] Teppa@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

The threat it faces is if it gets too big, then they will offer an alternative to USD for trading global assets. Which prevents the US from funding its massive social programs and military, or exporting its inflation.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 2 points 19 hours ago

exactly

[–] Sepia@mander.xyz 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

What sources regarding China do you read?

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I read mainstream western sources of course.

Emerging countries' debt payments to private lenders dwarf those to China https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/emerging-countries-debt-payments-private-lenders-dwarf-those-china-2025-08-11/ https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3745021
Chinese Investment In Africa Has Had ‘Significant And Persistently Positive’ Long-Term Effects Despite Controversy https://www.eurasiareview.com/01022021-chinese-investment-in-africa-has-had-significant-and-persistently-positive-long-term-effects-despite-controversy/
study on Chinese investments https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3745021
The Chinese ‘Debt Trap’ Is a Myth https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/02/china-debt-trap-diplomacy/617953/
China and Africa: Ethiopia case study debunks investment myths https://theconversation.com/china-and-africa-ethiopia-case-study-debunks-investment-myths-177098
The Impact of Chinese FDI in Africa: Evidence from Ethiopia https://www.lse.ac.uk/iga/assets/documents/research-and-publications/FDI-in-Ethiopia-Crescenzi-Limodio.pdf
Broadband, Business Formation, and Economic Growth in the Global South: Assessing China’s Impact https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2023/11/broadband-business-formation-and-economic-growth-in-the-global-south-assessing-chinas-impact/

[–] Sepia@mander.xyz -3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Oh, what a carefully selected sample.

The vast majority of these sources provide a very critical picture of China, so if you really read these 'mainstream Western sources of course' you must have a very critical picture of China. It doesn't reflect your propaganda-like posts and comments in this and your alt accounts. But at least here in this thread you have so far refrained from personal insults.

As most of your linked articles refer to Chinese investments in the Global South, there is a very good study from 2025 by the Economic Policy Institute in Kiel, Germany, about that.

Our findings reveal a previously undocumented pattern of revenue ring-fencing, where a significant share of commodity export receipts never reaches the exporting countries. Revenues routed overseas secure priority repayment for the creditor; they remain out of public sight and largely beyond the borrower’s reach until the secured debts are repaid. These findings raise new concerns about debt transparency, fiscal management, fiscal autonomy, and the quality of macroeconomic surveillance, particularly in commodity-exporting EMDEs [emerging market and developing economies].

Interesting investigation that provides new insights how exactly China takes leverage over emerging economies at Beijing's benefit and Beijing's benefit alone.

Addition: And, of course, Canada should not buy renewable tech, EVs, and other tech from China. The price of letting others control you energy and you tech is too high. What is true for the U.S. is also true for China. Canada should definitely seek collaboration with democratic states rather than dictatorships.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Your cherry picked article doesn't contradict a single thing I said. And, of course, Canada should and will buy EVs and renewable tech from China because clearly even people running Canada aren't complete imbeciles. Enjoy doing a lot of seething and coping in your future. Life is gonna get real hard for people like you going forward.

Also, might want to learn what a dictatorship is before throwing big words like that around kiddo. Pretty sure people actually living in China understand their system better than some angry racist from Canada.

[–] Sepia@mander.xyz -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So letting others control your energy is bad unless it's controlled by China? That's apparently bad faith posts and comments, @yogthos@lemmygrad.ml

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I guess you have reading comprehension problems, what I actually said was:

While Canada should absolutely invest in domestic supply chains and self sufficiency, there’s a big difference here. Once you’ve bought and installed the solar infrastructure from China, it operates domestically. There is no threat to Canada’s national security here. Once that initial infrastructure is imported, Canada has time to figure out how to develop its own going forward.

Seems like @Sepia@mander.xyz is just here to troll and make bad faith posts

[–] Sepia@mander.xyz -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Reading comprehension is an issue, just read my comment above. Here again:

Batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, EVs - all these are no longer just mechanical assets but rather connected systems. These connectivities create new exposure for consumers and governments in democratic states.

As one report, It’s Time to Treat China’s Connected Energy Systems As a National Security Risk, says,

Foreign automakers and energy operators relying on Chinese batteries are not just importing physical components; they are importing foreign-controlled code that dictates how critical assets operate, and that may be updated based on a vendor’s schedules, through vendor platforms, and under vendor policies.

There is ample evidence that China poses a threat to other states' security, as well as many examples that China uses leverage for economic and political coercion.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

What part of bootstrapping are you struggling with here? We can use Chinese tech that exists today, that we failed to develop domestically, and then build our own technology going forward. I will reiterate again, that there is zero evidence for China posing any threat. This is just FUD that you're spreading here. Every country uses economic leverage, this isn't exclusive to China. Unless you're proposing that Canada becomes a hermit kingdom, then it will have to deal with other countries protecting their own interests. Try to put a bit more work into your trolling to make it a bit less obvious.

Also, hilarious you'd link to a report from RAND of all places to base your fear mongering on. A report from a country that's literally threatening to annex Canada and sees China as its main rival couldn't possibly have any biases in it. The US would have absolutely no interest in keeping Canada dependent on fossil fuels and prevent it from actually implementing clean energy solutions. And luckily for them they have plenty of useful idiots in Canada to carry water.

[–] Sepia@mander.xyz -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh, no, there is ample evidence for China being a severe security threat. It's published in the mainstream Western sources that you read, according to you, "of course". Just read it. China isn't a reliable partner, but wumaos have different view.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago