I remember when I was a young student, one of my co students introduced me to chinese philosophy; I Ching, Lao Tze, Konfucius. The spiritual and intellectual legacy of China is an ancient and equally awe-inspiring immenseness.

I salute this, and I do respect the chinese thought. The “Middle Road” is something that has inspired me.

I also do recognize the atrocities that the West did in Mainland China. The british trade organizations, especially the teatraders did some extremely horrible things. I do recognize that.

But, that does not excuse the open theft of immaterial rights and knowledge of West as it is happening today. Through it many spies and computer hackers it has leached the West for know how.

Now, a small country with no real threat to Western industry would have been one thing. But the current rate of economic growth has reached a point where the discrepancy between the industrial output of China and the West is not a small thing anymore.

As a consequence the West has to act. We know that the chinese military manufacturers have stolen many important blueprints of western military tech. This is not excusable, we know that in many other sectors the same is the case.

I do recognize the warm relationship Denmark has had with China for centuries. Especially the company Jebsen is an integrated part of chinese business. But, China has to play by the same rules as everybody else.

China has to respect the knowledge of the West. This might reduce the industrial output of China for a bit, but the output is enough for China to survive and thrive as it is.

So, there is a philosophical item, China has to adopt to be a full member of the civilized nations, and that is the rule of law.

It goes like this, seen from a Confucian view; there are rules as to what a state can allow the member of the land to do. One thing it cannot allow is the stealing of knowledge. Knowledge is a commodity, and it should be priced as such.

Beneath the principle lies another principle. It is simple. Why do we protect the laws? Because if not, the weak will pay. In a world where the strong reigns, the weak is at prey.

We protect the weak, by adhering to law.

Is that not a good principle? Is it not within family honour to protect the weak of the land?

I hope, for the chinese, that they will accept Babylonian law.

G-d bless I Ching