It’s explicitly part of Chinese science and technology strategy to think outside the box and it’s what’s pushing them forward on areas like semiconductors as well.
Given the massive advantage in talent they’ve built up while the Us reverts to Drill Baby Drill we know how this ends.
Eventually the Us with push for atmospheric dimming to “fix” the negative externalities of their approach which had the nice side effect of degrading solar ….
FMl
You’re being downvoted but i don’t think you’re entirely wrong. China has been pursuing some stuff that the western world had essentially abandoned, getting interesting wins (eg: thorium reactors).
He's wrong in the "why" tho. It's not that they must think outside the box, it's that they _must_ not all focus on a single point of research. I'm pretty sure that they are also pursuing popular research topics, because it would be pretty bad if they fall behind for not doing the obvious.
Solar and batteries will keep getting cheaper, its going to get harder to maintain fossil fuel use under those market conditions.
Competition is great.