Chapter 6: Science, Technology and Innovation in China: Progress, Problems and Prospects

There are differing, and even conflicting, views on China’s role in the global stage of science, technology and innovation (S&TI). On one hand, as this chapter demonstrates, various indicators show that China’s S&TI capability has been rising significantly and China will be highly likely to become a world leader in S&TI soon. On the other hand, most recently, ZTE Corporation, China’s second largest telecommunications equipment maker, not only saw its market value plummeting some $43 billion but also had to cease its operation because it was cut off from the key components such as semiconductors that it used to source from the United States for its violation of the American export control regime. It points to serious foreign technological dependence and vulnerability of not only ZTE but also probably China’s high-tech industry as a whole. Therefore, amid the ongoing trade disputes between China and the United States, it seems to be the right time to take a comprehensive look at where China stands in terms of its S&TI…