translated from Spanish: The Covid 19, biological catalyst for the new 5G Geopolitics

There is a lot of literature and lines of thought, including the New Economic Geography, which have made important contributions to the evidence of the properties of the space organization of capitalism. In recent weeks there have also been many interesting publications with reflections around where the hegemonic economic model in the world will mutate
In human history, there are multiple expressions of epochal changes that, in turn, come coupled with changes in geopolitics and the spatial distribution of power. The French historian Fernand Braudel points out that every time there is a decentralization, a recentr takes place, as if an economy-world could not live without a center of gravity, without a pole. In the case of Europe and the areas annexed by it, “a focus is on 1380, in favour of Venice. By 1500, there was a sharp and gigantic leap from Venice to Antwerp and then, around 1550-1560, a return to the Mediterranean, but this time in favor of Genoa; finally, around 1590-1610, a transfer to Amsterdam, where the economic center of the European area will stabilize for almost two centuries. Between 1780 and 1815 he moved to London, and in l929, he crossed the Atlantic to be in New York”
However, the pandemic has many of us in telework mode and many think that this modality will be maintained in the future, even if the pandemic is controlled and the corresponding vaccine is discovered. Known are the spatial and territorial impacts that new technologies have had and have. In urban matters, for example, there were technological changes that led to major transformations, such as walled cities, which ceased to make sense when the big canyons demonstrated their ability to destroy the huge walls of protection.
However, 5G technology is of vital importance in Data Capitalism as it provides the technical conditions for further progress in the so-called New Economy, which has in electronic money, telework and robotics its “digital launch points”.
Mike Pompeo’s visit in 2019
On April 12, 2019, Mike Pompeo landed in Santiago, Chile, as part of a tour that included several Latin American countries. At the time, the press reported that the visit was intended to discuss with the Chilean government about the Venezuelan crisis but statements by the Secretary of State of the United States of America concerning China and Huawey, made it clear that his trip was intended to expose Trump’s views on Chile’s relationship with the Asian giant. In days after Trump’s envoy’s visit in April last year, President Piñera began his visit to China and Pompeo had no problem publicly expressing his negative opinion on President Piñera’s likely visit to Huawei’s facilities.
Pompeo saved no words to point out that “if you use these information systems, you would force the United States to make decisions as to where we put our information as well.” He was certainly referring to 5G technology. And he didn’t stop there and he gave another warning to Piñera when he noted that China injects “Corrosive Capital” into the economies that interact with her. In other words, it maintains the argument that China’s economy grows up having a kind of perverse “dumping” based on the copying and non-payment of patents and those who prefer them as trading partners are going to be contaminated. However, the almost realityd possibility that Huawei can install the 5G infrastructure in the world is a resounding lied to the claim of the lack of innovation because it shows that the Chinese have invested heavily in Research and Development and Innovation. Several Chinese companies are, and Huawei is one of the pioneers, which are topping the investment rankings in R&D&I and more and more technological patents registered by Asians. That is, they are taking a real advantage over Europe and the USA and they are doing so long ago in a “long march” that has them ad portas to lead the 5G infrastructure with the geopolitical implications that this will have.
It is known that China and the Smartphone company are working to make Puerto Williams the southern end of its 5G infrastructure and from that it is clear the importance of Chile in these matters because our country would become the southern node of this network. It is also known that Chile hasChina as its main trading partner and our neighbors are increasingly using our ports to link to Asia Pacific. The recent enabling of the new Pehuenche pass has been very celebrated by Argentine entrepreneurs eager to trade with Xi Jinping and his own.
Following Braudel, it seems that we are living a new geopolitical “centering” of the world. And just as Venice, Genoa, Amsterdam, then London and finally New York were once Venice, it is possible that Beijing is in the short term the head of the new global political power network.
 
The content poured into this opinion column is the sole responsibility of its author, and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line or position of El Mostrador.

Original source in Spanish

Related Posts

Add Comment