I don't think this take is at all accurate. While I agree with you that "data matters," it is for very different reasons. Exclusive access matters to the CCP and the Chinese state because it is a proxy of sovereignty. Think about who they cracked down on - Boss Zhiping, Full Truck, and of course Didi Chuxing. All three of these are not just "data companies" but the specific data they utilize and collect can just as easily be used to build ground-up employment/travel/wealth logistics stats on China's economy. While the US IC is far and above using corporate data to map China's "real economy," China isn't. Your claim that "the bigger dataset is more accurate" seems out of place. Why would the CCP care about whether the business model of any of these private enterprises is effective at making money? They only care in terms of national security and sovereignty calculations.