Chinese Techno-Nationalism and the Three-Note Chord.

This paper examines the development of technology policy in China during the reform era (1979-present). It compares China's technology promotion to the Japanese model of development, which has been called techno-nationalism. Using Richard Samuels' "three-note chord" as the primary analytical construction, I argue that Chinese techno-nationalism has diverged from the Japanese path in several important ways. Unlike Japan, China has welcomed FDI in technology industries. This has fostered a more liberal approach to technological autonomy. I also argue that the diffusion of technology within the Chinese economy has become another point of divergence from the Japanese techno-nationalist model. Technology development is overwhelmingly concentrated in a few provinces along the southern coast. This is the result of a technology economy that is more competitive than collaborative in securing technology. These points of divergence should caution those who have labeled techno-nationalism an "Asian phenomemon." I suggest that studying technology in the Chinese economy requires looking past the models set by Japan or the NIC states and examining the interactions between state and industry within the emerging Chinese technology sector. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]