China Trend Analysis II : Technology Blooms in the PRC

Introduction


“In addition to the broad array of technology products sold to Japan, the latest data show that China is among the top three customers in aerospace, advanced materials, software, electronics, and information and communications technologies.”
– National Science Board, Science and Engineering Indicators, 2008


According to the National Science Board of the United States of America, the five areas mentioned above represent half of the ten total categories assigned by this organization to monitor advances in markets, developments, and innovation in “technology.” China accounted for almost 10% of all U.S. exports in advanced technologies, the highest of any nation in the world.

Technology is one of the words that will makes everyone’s life easier, when it falls out of popular use. Deciding what technology is and is not is a rapidly changing, and debatable topic. Furthermore, the unknown uncertainty revolving around many technological deployments continue to make scientific advancement a heated topic of debate. Advanced technologies are touted as having the ability to change the fabric of the world we inhabit at any time. Affecting our personal, national and global societies, this catchall term is still very important to discussion and understanding of our world. And China seems to be building, buying, and bolstering “technology” as fast as it possibly can.

We will examine China’s consumption, development, and usage of advanced technologies based on the 11 categories put forth by the U.S. National Science Board. We will also examine topics distinctly related to technological advancements, and China effect on them, namely, global standards and industrial Intellectual Property.