How china exploited tech for the Long Haul – The country has long been known for its ability to copy and improve upon Western products.
Checkout this video:
Chinese Tech History
For years, China has been playing the long game when it comes to technology. While the West has been focused on the latest, shiniest gadgets, China has been quietly building a comprehensive ecosystem to support its tech companies This is how China has been able to take the lead in crucial tech industries, from 5G to artificial intelligence.
Pre-2000: Government-led development
In the late 1970s, China was starting from a very low base in terms of technology. The government therefore placed a lot of emphasis on developing the country’s tech sector, with a particular focus on increasing self-sufficiency.
One of the key ways in which the Chinese government did this was by investing heavily in education and training, particularly in science and engineering. This created a large pool of highly skilled workers that could be employed in the tech sector.
The government also set up a number of research institutes and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to develop new technologies. These SOEs enjoyed a number of advantages, such as access to cheap capital and preferential treatment in terms of regulations and tax breaks.
One of the most successful SOEs was the China Academy of Sciences (CAS), which was responsible for developing a number of key technologies, including the first Chinese microprocessor and supercomputer.
The CAS was also behind the launch of China’s first satellite, which took place in 1970. This was a major achievement at the time and helped to raise China’s profile in the international scientific community.
In 1988, China set up its first special economic zone (SEZ) in Shenzhen. The SEZs were designed to attract foreign investment and they offered a number of perks to companies, such as lower taxes and more relaxed regulations.
One of the most notable foreign investments came from Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, who set up Hutchison Whampoa – now known as CK Hutchison – in Shenzhen in 1982. CK Hutchison would go on to become one of the largest conglomerate’s in Asia with interests ranging from telecoms to energy and retail.
2000-2010: Private-sector development
While the Chinese state continued to consolidate its power and control over the country’s economy, something else was happening in the background: a private sector was beginning to take shape.
This was most apparent in the development of China’s internet industry. Although the state still tightly controlled access to the internet and censored online content, it began to allow a handful of private companies to set up shop. Among them were Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent—now known as BAT—which would go on to dominate China’s tech landscape.
These companies benefitted from a number of factors, including preferential treatment from the state, a massive domestic market with few foreign competitors, and a looser regulatory environment than in developed countries. As a result, they were able to grow rapidly and achieve enormous scale.
In 2009, BAT accounted for less than 2 percent of global internet traffic; by 2016, that figure had risen to 50 percent. Today, these three companies are worth a combined $1 trillion—more than the GDP of all but 19 countries in the world.
Post-2010: Transition to an innovation-based economy
In the past few years, China has made a concerted effort to transition to an innovation-based economy. A key part of this effort has been the development of a number of tech hubs and incubators across the country. These hubs are designed to foster the growth of startups and to attract foreign investment.
One of the most successful of these hubs is Shenzhen, which is home to a number of major tech companies, including Huawei and DJI. Shenzhen is often referred to as the “Silicon Valley of China” and it has played a major role in the country’s transition to an innovation-based economy.
Another important part of China’s transition to an innovation-based economy has been the government’s “Made in China 2025” initiative. This initiative is aimed at making China a world leader in a number of key technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing. The initiative has been controversial, with some accusing the Chinese government of unfairly subsidizing its tech companies. However, there is no denying that the initiative has had a major impact on the country’s tech sector.
The Chinese Tech Model
For years, the Chinese government has been investing in tech companies and developing its own tech sector. This has allowed China to create its own versions of popular products and services, and to become a world leader in the tech industry However, there are some drawbacks to this model.
The role of the state
The role of the state has been critical in China’s tech development. The state has provided the “patient capital” required for long-term investment in research and development, as well as the market for scale for Chinese companies.
State-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been at the forefront of much of China’s tech development. In the early days of reform and opening up, SOEs were key in developing indigenous capabilities in areas like semiconductors and telecommunications equipment. Even today, many Chinese tech giants like Huawei and Lenovo are closely tied to the state.
The state has also played a key role in developing human capital. In recent years, China has increased its investment in higher education, with a particular focus on science and engineering. As a result, China now has more graduates in STEM fields than any other country in the world.
The role of the market
In China, the state plays a much more active role in the economy than it does in capitalist democracies. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sees itself as the steward of China’s development and as the only force that can properly guide the country’s transformation into a global power. The party-state thus takes a leading role in formulating and implementing economic policy.
The role of the market is more limited in China than it is in capitalist democracies. The state owns or controls most of the country’s major banks and companies. It tightly regulates foreign investment and restricts competition from domestic and international private firms. Even though Deng Xiaoping declared in 1978 that “to get rich is glorious,” capitalism is not allowed to run riot in China. The state intervenes on a regular basis to direct investment, prop up failing industries, and prevent Bubble Economics from taking hold.
The Chinese Tech Model has three main features:
1) The state plays a leading role in formulating and implementing economic policy;
2) The market is more limited than it is in capitalist democracies; and
3) The state intervenes on a regular basis to direct investment, prop up failing industries, and prevent Bubble Economics from taking hold.
The role of the individual
While the top-down Soviet approach to technological development ultimately failed, the Chinese model has been much more successful. In China, the role of the individual is key to the success of the tech industry
The Chinese government has been very supportive of individual entrepreneurs, providing them with the resources they need to succeed. This includes access to capital, mentorship, and education.
One of the reasons why the Chinese model has been so successful is because it encourages a risk-taking culture. In China, it is considered very honorable to be an entrepreneur. This is in contrast to other cultures where failure is often seen as a stain on one’s character.
The Chinese model also puts a lot of emphasis on teamwork. In many Chinese companies, it is not uncommon for employees to work long hours and weekends. This culture of hard work and dedication has contributed to China’s success in the tech industry.
The global implications of the Chinese tech model
For the tech industry
The rise of the Chinese tech model has had major implications for the global tech industry. For one, it has forced foreign companies to reassess their approach to the Chinese market. In the past, many companies viewed China as a largely untapped market with huge potential for growth. However, more recently, companies have been increasingly aware of the unique challenges posed by China’s distinct business environment.
As a result, many companies have been forced to tailor their products and services to meet the specific needs of Chinese consumers. This has often meant making sacrifices in terms of quality and innovation in order to be able to compete on price.
The Chinese tech model has also had a major impact on global innovation. The rise of Chinese tech giants such as Huawei and Xiaomi has spurred a wave of innovation in areas such as 5G and artificial intelligence. These companies have invested heavily in research and development, and their success has placed China at the forefront of the global tech industry.
The implications of the rise of the Chinese tech model are far-reaching and complex. It is clear that China is now a major player in the global tech industry, and that its success is having a profound impact on other countries around the world.
For the global economy
The rise of Chinese tech conglomerates and platforms has been one of the most momentous shifts in the global economy in recent years. These companies have come to dominate vast segments of the tech industry, from smartphones and social media to e-commerce and artificial intelligence. They have upended traditional business models, disrupted established companies and transformed how people consume information and interact with each other.
And they are doing all of this while operating within a state-sponsored system that gives them an enormous competitive advantage over their foreign rivals.
This rapid ascension has profound implications for the future of the global economy. For one thing, it is sharply eroding the technological dominance of the united states and other Western economies. Chinese companies are already leaders in many cutting-edge industries, and they are pouring billions of dollars into research and development in an effort to catch up in others.
What’s more, these companies are adopting a different model of capitalism, one that is based on control rather than competition, surveillance rather than privacy, nationalism rather than globalization. This is a model that poses a fundamental challenge to the way the world has organized itself economically since the end of World War II.
The United States and other Western governments have responded slowly to this challenge, caught off guard by the speed and ambition of China’s tech giants. But as these companies continue to grow in power and influence, there is an urgent need for a coordinated response that takes into account not just the economic but also the political and moral implications of this new era of Chinese tech dominance.
For geopolitics
For geopolitics, the implications are enormous. America’s global hegemony has depended on its control of the world’s leading technology platforms. If China seizes that control—as it is now close to doing in 5G, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors—it will mean the end of American dominance. Worse, it could mean the end of the liberal international order that has been in place since World War II.
