And it's a crying shame that you are obviously unaware of the difference between 'authoritarianism' and 'totalitarianism'.
Here's a hint:
Saudi Arabia, Iran, and North Korea are 'totalitarian' - they attempt to control every aspect of the lives of their citizens/subjects:
Dressing (Compulsory Hijabs for muslim women in Saudi Arabia & Iran. Western-Style dressing, e.g. miniskirts, forbidden in North Korea),
Food (alcohol prohibited in Iran/Saudi Arabia),
Behaviour/Lifestyle (Watching South Korean movies/dramas a punishable offence in North Korea. Public kissing between unmarried couples a punishable offence in Saudi Arabia),
etc.
While China, Russia, Vietnam, Morocco, etc are 'Authoritarian'.
So next time, please attempt to educate yourself before coming here to show off your ignorance.
China has the 2nd largest (and according to some sources, probably the largest) consumer market on Earth, and is currently, by a large margin, the largest market for Cars, Smartphones, PCs, Fashion, and a host of other product categories. In 2020, China was the only major country where global corporations didn't see a significant decline in sales growth.
China is also, again by far, the largest e-commerce market and the largest mobile payments market on Earth.
I apologize for sounding like an infomercial, but these are basic economic facts that one would expect a reasonably well-read individual to be aware of. I would advise that in future you get better informed before coming here to advertise your ignorance.
You're either delusional or extremely (emphasis on the 'extremely') divorced from reality. So losing out on a $10,000+ gain is 'a good thing' in your book?
There was a strong need for it. Rushing to express 'outrage' without taking time to actually sit down and think about what you're being 'outraged' about is becoming the bane of Western societies.
The article is talking about weaker public health 'surveillance'.
Try spending a bit more time thinking, and less time jumping to conclusions. I guess this is why they say 'reading' and 'comprehension' are two vastly different things.
You're a former employee cum VC who has NEVER launched any actual technical product, and yet you believe you know more than an anti-vc startup founder with multiple successful products under his belt? Really? You actually expect us to trust your 'expertise' over his?