Technology Progress in the Chinese Construction Industry under the Iron-Fist of Government

Government policies and actions in transitional economies have far-reaching consequences for technology progress. Many studies suggest the important role of governments in providing policies and finance to facilitate technology innovations. The Chinese government has often been seen to exemplify this. This article probes government actions in practice, the way it is conducted and the negative consequences for innovation. We focus on one of China’s mostimportant and successful sectors – construction. An analytical framework based on ‘complex systems industry’ is used and a causal map developed to examine the role of the Chinese government acting as client, regulator and administrator of industrial and professional bodiesand their impact on innovation in the construction sector. This paper confirms that innovation isindustry specific and social and economic context dependent. While recognising the powerfulrole of the Chinese government, it argues that in reality the ‘Chinese government’ is not auniform entity, but rather consists of various entities acting in accordance with their variedvested interests at a specific time and under particular circumstances

Building ‘mass’ and ‘momentum’:A latecomer country’s passage to large technological systems – the case of China

This paper focuses on how a latecomer country can bring a large (infrastructural) technological system (LTS) to a market already dominated by the entrenched systems of global technology leaders. We construct a conceptual framework, building on Hughes LTS theory (1983) and insights from social studies of technology into the specificities of infrastructural sociotechnical systems to analyse the development of China’s 3rd Generation mobile telephony system. We explore the complex dynamics surrounding the distributed governance of innovation, highlighting changes in key system builders. We note the role of the state in addressing critical problems (“reverse salients”), both in terms of aligning players through legitimating and sense-making and also, building the necessary mass and momentum. This includes a more radical reconfiguring of the field to secure the substantial commitments needed to materialise and embed a new LTS infrastructure

Technology transfer and the acquisition of technological capabilities: the development of public digital switching technology in China

This thesis examines the scope for developing countries, and in particular those with a socialist tradition like China, to benefit from advanced technologies developed in the West and acquire indigenous technological capacities. Empirically it investigates China's attempts to acquire capabilities in the highly complex field of - Public Digital Switching Systems (PDSS) - the technology at the heart of modern telecommunications systems and therefore of great social and economic importance.The study builds upon a critical review of literature in three areas: development studies, studies of socialist economies and technology studies. It explores how developing countries might utilise exogenous technological competencies effectively, by means of 'dual technology development' with appropriate strategies for technology transfer and processes of technological learning to transform exogenous competencies into indigenous ones.Two detailed cases studies are presented and analysed in the wider social and economic context. One involves the wholesale transfer of capabilities to produce a Western PDSS technology in China (System 12) through a joint venture project. The other involves the indigenous development of a Chinese PDSS (HJD-04) conceived by a military R&D institute, and brought to production through a collaboration with two other bodies in the Chinese telecommunication sector. These cases highlight the range of choices available in the acquisition of technological capabilities - from large scale and formal technology transfer (System 12), which provided a wide range of means for technological learning, to the selective import of component technologies (HJD-04) and their effective combination with locally available expertise. They offer different opportunities for further innovation and for local shaping of these technologies.The cases also throw light on the influence of the economic reforms on the technological dynamism of China's 'national system'. In particular, the introduction of market pressures provided important incentives for R&D institutes and producers to become more responsive to their customers and to work together. Economic necessity forced them to compete in the market and meet customers' requirements for high product quality. The cases demonstrate the need for continued state intervention to provide frameworks for market mechanisms to encourage technological co-operation, to balance local and national interests, and to reduce negative social consequences. In light of the changing and diverse forms of state intervention in China, the thesis argues that market dynamics and public policy should be complementary

Sequencing BGI:The evolution of expertise and research organisation in the world’s leading gene sequencing facility

The increasing importance of computational techniques in post-genomic life science research calls for new forms and combinations of expertise that cut across established disciplinary boundaries between computing and biology. These are most marked in large scale gene sequencing facilities. Here new ways of organising knowledge production, drawing on industrial models, have been perceived as pursuing efficiency and control to the potential detriment of academic autonomy and scientific quality.We explore how these issues are played out in the case of BGI (Beijing Genomics Institute prior to 2008). BGI (in Pinyin, Hua Da Jiyin– Big China Genome) is today the world’s largest centre for gene sequencing research. Semi-detached from traditional academic institutions, BGI has developed distinctive models for organising research and for developing expertise, informed by practices in US Information Technology and Life Science Laboratories, that differ from existing models of interdisciplinary research in academic institutions

Alipay entered Malaysia:A closer look at the new market entry strategy driven by Chinese tourists

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the entrance of Chinese-based Alipay’s mobile-payment (m-payment) technology into Malaysia. Malaysia allowed this entry of the first foreign m-payment company because it would allow Chinese tourists spending while they are visiting Malaysia. It will view this entrance from a Malaysian perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The views of Malaysian players (Bank Negara Malaysia officers, three Malaysian banks’ officers, Alipay-Malaysia officers, airport section manager, convenience store manager and airport store sales executive) were sought via qualitative interview concerning Alipay’s entry into the Malaysian market. Respondents who had relevant knowledge and/or were involved in Alipay m-payment technology development in Malaysia were contacted, while there remainder were obtained by snowballing. Secondary data was collected from Bank Negara Malaysia’s policy, three Malaysian banks’ reports, the Alipay-Malaysia public statements and the Airport and Convenience Store reports. Triangulation using primary and secondary data was used to safeguard the validity and reliability of the outcomes. Findings: The entry strategy used by Alipay was different from those reported in previous studies. The establishment of Alipay-Malaysia was the first element of the “mode of entry” gaining pioneer status in Malaysia. The next stage was gaining support from Bank Negara Malaysia-Malaysian Central Bank and three Malaysian banks (Maybank, Public Bank and CIMB) through collaborative ventures with Alipay-Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., leading to acceptance nationwide by local merchants. The key driver of acceptance being Chinese outbound tourists in Malaysia. Research limitations/implications: This case study was conducted during the early implementation of Alipay in Malaysia from 2015 until April 2019. During this period, there were challenges due to the lack of primary data. These were overcome by the support from the respondents and the secondary data. Practical implications: This study contributes to insights from a different entry strategy that used tourism as a leading force. This can give guidance to other m-payment service providers or other countries as m-payment technology recipient about “market entry strategy” and “modes of entry” following Alipay’s approach. Originality/value: To date, no study has been conducted to investigate the nature of Alipay m-payment in Malaysia. This qualitative study has examined the new phenomenon regarding how Alipay entered the Malaysian market. Moreover, this study can also contribute new insights into the existing theory of “market entry strategy” in terms of Alipay’s tourist-based approach

Online Music in China

Nowadays Internet technology allows for music that can either be listened to via streaming or via download on a mobile device. Online music in this report refers to music distributed via Internet or mobile communication. Online music can be divided into two types: the first is music digitalized from traditional albums which is made by professional album companies, and; the second is music directly made in digital form and spread through the Internet. It needs to be pointed out that the majority of Internet music that is listened to is still music made by traditional album companies, and that is also what most websites provide to users. Thus, in this music part, these two types of music will be addressed. From the musicians’ side, the discussion is more about original Internet music; from the users’ side, unless pointed out otherwise, the user experience focusses on both types

Online Film in China

The most recent major sale of a US film company was announced at the beginning of November 2016: “Wanda buys Dick Clark Productions”.1 Who would have predicted this announcement ten years ago? The Chinese Dalian Wanda Group is about to buy Dick Clark Productions for about one billion USD; and with it the broadcasting rights to television programs that attract tens of millions of viewers every year: The Golden Globe Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards and the New Year countdown celebrations in New York. The latter, with an estimated reach of more than a billion, has become an iconic image of New Year’s Eve festiv- ities

Online literature in China

Online literature is very popular in China today. There, online literature can roughly be divided into two parts. First, there is the literature written by ordinary writers and posted directly on the Internet. Second, there are digitalized versions of existing literature, which are digitalized from traditionally published and printed books. Many books are made into PDF versions or other kinds of digital versions for mobile phones, Kindles, and other reading devices. Many people want to read digitalized copies of printed books simply because the storage devices are much smaller than paper books, and are much easier to be taken everywhere, or because they are more eco-friendly. In this report, we will mainly discuss the first kind of literature, and call it “internet literature”. Internet literature works are published and printed as paper books after they become very popular, but in this report, we categorize all the works that are firstly re- leased on the Internet as “internet literature”