I generally buy the notion that the USSR then, and CCP now, perceive free cultures as a threat to their dominance. I also buy the notion that there are active plans in place, like Thousand Talents Plan, to shift the remaining dominance.

But I'm not willing to chalk the whole thing up to external meddling, either. There are people in academia who are willing accomplices. There are economic factors that are tailor-made to support this shift. I think the solution is to opt-out of their economy and buy bitcoin.