The global war on technology theft

■"FBI Sees Big Threat From Chinese Spies; Businesses Wonder; Bureau Adds Manpower, Builds Technology-Theft Cases; Charges of Racial Profiling," by Jay Solomon, Wall Street Journal, 10 August 2005, p. A1.

■"Big Foreign Investors Are Courting Bank of China: Stakes in State-Backed Bank Would Give Foursome Entry Into Huge Market," by Mary Kissel and Andrew Browne, Wall Street Journal, 10 August 2005, p. A9.

■"Australia, China to Discuss Nuclear-Trade Deal," by Dow Jones Newswires, Wall Street Journal, 10 August 2005, p. A9.

The FBI is mounting what is described as a big-time effort to track Chinese efforts to steal military-related technology from the U.S.

This is the same FBI that's so short-handed in the Global War on Terrorism. This is the FBI that's shortchanging state and local police in terms of regular crime prosecution.

And China, of course, is the only country in the world that's doing this right now in the United States.

Remember the huge FBI effort to curtail the widespread economic theft that Japan engaged in for decades? Neither do I.

You want a strategic vision for the 21st century. Here it is: either China and the United States are strategic allies in an expanding Functioning Core of globalization or globalization will likely splinter in very bad ways, leading to untold suffering throughout the Gap, and plenty of wasted security activities throughout the Core. Millions upon millions of lives will end prematurely in the self-inflicted madness of this second path, and the global war on terrorism will not be won.

China is rising. Don't just hedge against that, plan for it. The logic of our strategic partnership with China is profound. Sure, to most older than I, it will seem impossible or at least highly improbable.

The good news is, of course, the vast majority of people older than I won't matter much to this grand historical process.

Talk to someone in a few years whose entire life experience has been shaped in a world where China is considered an economic powerhouse, not some isolated, bizarre, almost North Korean-like nuthouse where millions die under a dictator's "cultural revolution." Those young people will grow up understanding the logic of this inevitable union, even if their forefathers, trapped as they are in values programmed decades ago, cannot.

Of course, I'm being unfair here. American business gets this reality. I heard it in spades five years ago atop the World Trade Center in the NewRuleSets.Project workshops with Cantor Fitzgerald. It's the politicians and the more senior military who tend to have their heads up their asses on this, but that's a dangerous combination, one that's capable of doing all sorts of stupid things in years ahead.

We need to pay attention to the Australians and Canadians more on the Chinese. Australia especially is the canary in this coal mine: as it learns to whistle a far different tune, our "down under" ally will be signaling our future relationship with China.

Watch and learn, I say.