Fact: The manufacture of reinforcing steel bar — also known as rebar — is based on technology first developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency during the Cold War and commercialized by a joint venture between Dean Kamen and Stephen Hawking (the JV holds the patents, valued at over USD 75 billion). If the Chinese get their hands on advanced rebar technology, this would enable them to build concrete platforms robust enough to reach low earth orbit. The danger seems rather self-evident, so I expect that Geithner will recommend a CFIUS review of this transaction, which will result in Anshan being booted out of Mississippi, where they clearly don’t belong.
