For the moment, fwiw, here's an official story:
http://www.zhongguancun.com.cn/en/default.asp.htm
(the data ends in 2000 for some reason but I am confident that the numbers are
much larger today).
What is important to observe is that a major technological transition is taking place
(there are of course many weak spots). Last summer at a conference in Copenhagen a number
of European scholars reported favorable outcomes of biotech companies undertaking
research-driven development in this science park. I think China should be given a break,
given that it adopted a "catch up" model since 1980. For a country this large,
with all its legacies, it surely has come far technologically.
A few days ago I spoke to an Indian entrepreneur in Singapore. He lamented the fact that Indians were
"service" oriented (and he used the phrase "colonial mentality", always serving others). I
disagreed with this analogy but he was right on the mark about India's ability to "design" products (meaning
high-tech "products"). This discussion took place in the context of my own research on the Japanese industry
and India's relationship to that. The entrepreneur's clients are basically all Japanese but he uses professionals from
India, China, Singapore, and even the US. He is in the design businesss (chips, dsps for consumer electronics and
industrial electronics). And in this connection he felt China was on the right track. Where India has an advantage
over China is in project management--a skill that evolved out of sheer historical luck (the Y2K) and first comer
advantage. The Chinese are chasing India in this regard.
Anthony
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anthony P. D'Costa, Professor Currently
Comparative International Development Senior Visiting Research Fellow
University of Washington Asia Research Institute
1900 Commerce Street National University of Singapore
Tacoma, WA 98402, USA 469 A Tower Block
Phone: (253) 692-4462 Bukit Timah Road #10-01
Fax : (253) 692-5718 Singapore 259770
http://tinyurl.com/yhjzrm Ph: (65) 6516 8785
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Tue, 11 Sep 2007, Doug Henwood wrote:
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 23:08:40 -0400
From: Doug Henwood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: PEN-L list <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [PEN-L] China: Was: Eavesdropping on a phone conference
On Sep 11, 2007, at 9:50 PM, Anthony D'Costa wrote:
But to claim that China hasn't enhanced its technological and
organizational competencies is off the mark. I will be visiting
China's largest science park (Zhongguancun) in Beijing in late Nov
and I will report back.
Please do!
Doug
