Technology and employment in China

Abstract

When discussing technology and emplo);ment policies in China, it may be useful to look at China’s economy as being made up of three different sectors, which are the modern industrial sector, the rural industrial sector and the agricultural sector. The sectors are becoming more closely linked and interdependent with the ultimate goal of establishing a modern economy. However, for the time being, manpower policies and technology requirements differ widely between the sectors. This is due to a number of factors where limited foreign exchange resources, necessity to limit capital requirements, a desire to control urban migration, etc., all play a role. In order to better understand the relation between manpower and technology policies, a few aspects of the Chinese development-as it has emerged-will first be mentioned. This paper will further discuss the technology requirements of the Chinese economy and describe certain manufacturing technologies-cement manufacture, local industrial systems, development of local engineering industry and the rolling-bearing industry-with relevance to the rural industrial sector and the agricultural sector. Finally, some of the needed infrastructure technologies and social technologies are mentioned.