"In all seriousness, what is the difference between the US government "investing" say, a billion dollars into such infrastructure, and the Chinese government having done the same to launch their fab plants,"
Primarily, the election cycle. US policy flips to whatever plays with the voters every four years, two of which are the campaign season. China plans for decades and sticks to their plans, maybe with some tweaking in the interim.
On the same note, US investors want a quick buck and instant profit on any investments. Few are prepared to wait years on an ROI.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
