Tim Culpan

India Needs the US in Order to Realize Its Tech Ambitions

India is adamant about building up its technological independence, with $10 billion earmarked to develop semiconductor and display manufacturing. It’s also keen to assert its foreign-policy independence by leaning toward Moscow to the consternation of Washington. New Delhi would do well to see the…

The US Opens a Risky New Front in Cyberdefense

A US operation to secretly remove malware from networks at home and overseas highlights the new front Washington is opening in its approach to global cyberdefense. It’s a much-needed strategy, but one that ought to be handle delicately if the US is to maintain the cooperation necessary to keep…

It Would Be Folly for China to Bust Russia Sanctions

There are many ways a Chinese company might sidestep US sanctions and provide technology products to Russia. It could hide American imports behind third-party suppliers, implement layers of shell companies to obfuscate source and destination, or create elaborate schemes to hide data from forensic…

Technology Companies Have a Road Out of China

Global electronics suppliers looking to diversify their manufacturing footprint beyond China are taking advantage of growing demand for sophisticated components used in electric vehicles to shift production closer to their customers overseas. It’s a smart move that could allay fears that the supply…

It’s Not Deja Vu in China All Over Again

It’s March. Major Chinese cities are in lockdown, manufacturing is idled, shares are plummeting, and the supply chain is scrambling to make sense of it all. It is a disturbing kind of deja vu. Today’s Covid-19 surge in China appears to mirror the Wuhan outbreak that paralyzed the world in 2020…

Tech Sanctions Won’t Sting Russia for a While

A decision to cut off the flow of technology goods and services to Russia, among a raft of restrictions set in motion in response to the invasion of Ukraine, might not amount to much. It will take time before the moves have any impact, and there are ways to circumvent the sanctions’ effects. Yet…

Bitcoin May Serve Many Masters in the War in Ukraine

Bitcoin has found its calling: As Ukrainians face escalating violence at the hands of Russian forces, the world’s premier cryptocurrency has become a key way for people to bypass centralized financial systems, store wealth and raise funds amid an unfolding humanitarian disaster. With Washington…

Spotters Remind Us How Far Aviation Has Come in 120 Years

If you stand on a small lane at the west end of Taipei’s Songshan airport at just the right moment, you can feel the hot air of a jet engine as it begins its takeoff run. On any given weekend, before the pandemic, dozens of people could be found milling about waiting for the next brief thrill as…

For Apple, Pausing Business in Russia Is More Practical Than Principled

Apple Inc., Nike Inc. and Walt Disney Co. are among the raft of big consumer brands deciding to halt sales in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. While that sounds like an appropriate response to Moscow’s brutality, it also smells of opportunism. More than a dozen major corporations have…

Alibaba Has a Much Bigger Problem Than the Tech Crackdown

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s slowest quarter on record comes amid a prolonged crackdown on China’s major technology companies. It’s easy to conflate the two. But the increased regulatory burden is overshadowed by even harsher problems. Chief among them: peak customer. It’s a reminder that the…