Abstract
Objectives: To analyze the primary strategic motives for China venturing into Disruptive Technologies and Innovations R&D at a very rapid pace. China has been galloping the Technology Highway for the past decade, with technological and innovation inroads in almost all the key sectors with the government playing a pivotal role. Method: The apparent drivers for the rapid strides in technology are economic growth, social development and the national aspirations of establishing a powerful and prosperous China. Forays in disruptive technologies has been preceded near-simultaneously by a plethora of strategic geopolitical ventures by China within its land mass, in the various seas, across the Asian, Europe and African continents and also in the space dimension. Thus, the methodology adopted is to study the various strategic initiatives China has implemented in the backdrop of global geopolitics. Thereafter, correlate the disruptive technologies to the various Chinese strategies. Findings: The initiatives to be a world leader in Disruptive Technologies correspond to China\'s other Strategic programs in global geopolitics and expansionist steps in the five dimensions of Land, Air, Sea, Space and Cyber Space. This cannot be dismissed as a mere coincidence. This study establishes that Technology is the common underlying driver of all the geopolitical overtures, viewed as strategic overlays, by China. Further, it is found that China is boosting R&D on dual-use technologies as compared to the single civil-end use technologies to complement its military component in implementation of its strategic manoeuvres. Application: The study will facilitate in mapping the global repercussions of these technologies, especially in the Indian sub-continent, given the stand-off relationship between the two nations. Keywords: Technology management; China\'s science & technology policy; Science & technology road-map; India implications; Strategic management
Highlights
China’s national goal is to become a reasonably prosperous society by 2021 (100th anniversary of the CCP) and a modern socialist country by 2049 [100th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)] (1)
Devasthali / Indian Journal of Science and Technology 2020;13(20):2041–2056 as a phase of strategic opportunity and progressively looks to leverage its growing economic, diplomatic and military might to achieve these goals and expand its global arc of influence (2). It has devised a large number of geopolitical strategies in all the dimensions towards this end
Sustained economic growth is the key to reinstate the geopolitical eminence of China which it had in the bygone era (52) (53)
Summary
China’s national goal is to become a reasonably prosperous society by 2021 (100th anniversary of the CCP) and a modern socialist country by 2049 [100th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)] (1). The Chinese government is playing a pivotal role in promoting technology and innovation, having enunciated the National Long-term Science and Technology Development Plan (2006–20), to give impetus to science and technology Disruptive technologies such as AI, big data, block chain, cloud computing, IoT, quantum communications etc. Are being infused in various sectors, like consumer products, public security (AI in facial recognition), automotive (autonomous driving), healthcare (big data analytics in diagnostics and early detection) and fintech (anti–money laundering and credit approval). It has taken concrete steps in AI technology development, closing the gap with other technologically advanced countries. China has enunciated a lot of related policies in public domain indicating that technology and innovation is a national priority for China and the core focus of many corporate operating in the country (3)
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