It's like we live identical lives :)

So if you want to really understand why DeepSeek does what it does and open source everything, start there. It's not a political statement, not to troll Stargate or Trump inauguration, or to help their quant fund's shorts on NVDA (though if that were the case, it'd be quite brilliant and savage).

They are also aware that Chinese firms have been taking for free lots of open source tech to advance, but they want to create their own, contribute, and prove that their tech is good enough to be taken for free by foreign firms -- some nationalism, some engineering pride.

Implicit in this "zeal" or "calling" is an acute awareness that no one in the west respects what they do because everything in China is stolen or created by cheating.

Most engineers are thrilled if their open source projects--a database, container registry--are used by a foreign company, especially a silicon valley one. They'd tack on free labor on top of already free software, to fix bugs, resolve issues, all day/night. It's all for the validation and approval.

Lutnick: "The President has a very clear agenda for tariffs. And I think reciprocity is going to be a key topic for us. How you treat us, is how you expect to be treated."

Then Trump took over again, saying "they tax us, we tax them", re-emphasizing the word "reciprocal"

Almost just as important is when Trump handed the podium to Howard Lutnick (commerce secretary nominee) later in the presser, reporter asked Lutnick:

Do you see another trade deal with China coming?

But we spent hours and hours talking, and he is an amazing guy.

The press hates it when I say that but he's an amazing person"

[then moved on to a different question on the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting.]

"You know because China and the United States can together solve all of the problems of the world, if you think about it, so it is very important. You know he was a friend of mine, I mean he was here for a long time, right in that spot except sitting in a very comfortable chair."

"But I have had, especially through letters, some very good conversations..."

[reporters shout more questions]

[reporters shout other questions]

"Just so you understand, he hasn't said one way or the other, because a lot of people are saying, he won't come, he will come, people think, he won't come, he will come. It's something we barely discussed...just about didn't discuss"

"I have had discussions with him, letters, etc. etc. at a very high level. You know, we've had a very good relationship until Covid... Covid (sigh) didn't end the relationship, but (shrug) it was a bridge too far for me...But if he'd like to come I'd certainly be..."

"I don't know if he would be at the inauguration, I mean I haven't spoken to him about it...I don't know that actually...I would say that if he'd like to come, I'd love to have him, but there's been nothing much discussed..."

🙏🙏

Agree? Disagree?

Either way, Robin Zeng's story, this prodigious gambler, deserves to be told properly👇
interconnect.substack.com/p/robin-zeng...