As China's crackdown on its tech giants rolls on, a new group of companies has come into favor with the state: the ‘little giants.’ That’s the special title that Beijing has given to around 4,700 mostly little known small to mid-sized companies in strategic sectors like advanced manufacturing, software and robotics. The government hopes that showering them with its endorsement and financial incentives will help supercharge their growth and, eventually, make the companies essential links in global supply chains.  The "little giants'' also fit into China’s drive for self-reliance, as relations with the West sour. A dispersed network of highly-specialized companies will be harder to sanction than a few name-brand mega-corporations like Huawei — or so the thinking goes.  Still, some observers have expressed doubts about the program. This week, The Wire looks at China’s little giants initiative: the companies involved, its European analogues, and why some peop