Networking China : the digital transformation of the Chinese economy / Yu Hong.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hong, Yu, 1980- author.

Series:

Geopolitics of information

The geopolitics of information

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Information technology--Economic aspects.

Information technology.

Industries--China--21st century.

Industries.

Industrial policy--China.

Industrial policy.

China.

Economic history.

China--Economic conditions--2000-.

Economic conditions.

Physical Description:

225 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Urbana : University of Illinois Press, [2017]

Summary:

"In recent years, China 's leaders have taken decisive action to transform information, communications, and technology (ICT) into the nation's next pillar industry. In Networking China , Yu Hong offers an overdue examination of that burgeoning sector's political economy. Hong focuses on how the state, in conjunction with market forces and class interests, is constructing and realigning its digitalized sector. State planners intend to build a more competitive ICT sector by modernizing the network infrastructure, corporatizing media-and-entertainment institutions, and by using ICT as a crosscutting catalyst for innovation, industrial modernization, and export upgrades. The goal: to end China's industrial and technological dependence upon foreign corporations while transforming itself into a global ICT leader. The project, though bright with possibilities, unleashes implications rife with contradiction and surprise. Hong analyzes the central role of information, communications, and culture in Chinese-style capitalism. She also argues that the state and elites have failed to challenge entrenched interests or redistribute power and resources, as promised. Instead, they prioritize information, communications, and culture as technological fixes to make pragmatic tradeoffs between economic growth and social justice"-- Provided by publisher.

"China has long relied on its export manufacturing for economic growth, yet, because of the serious problems generated by this economic model, the Chinese state has tried to rebalance its economy. With the global economic crisis of 2008 and the related downfall of the global export market, the Chinese state took decisive and systematic actions to diversify their economy and declared information, communication, and culture as its next "pillar" industry. In this study, Yu Hong examines the political economy of this industry, focusing on how the state, in conjunction with market forces and class interests, constructs and realigns this designated pillar industry as well as the accompanying power dynamics. She points to the broad patterns of what has changed, and what hasn't changed, in the policy arenas as well as in Chinese business, given the national goal of fostering a new, strategically important digitalized sector. Hong investigates how state planners intend to build more competitive ICT manufacturing industries by modernizing the network infrastructure, ending China's industrial and technological dependence upon foreign corporations and possibly becoming a global ICT leader. Hong argues that instead of challenging head-on dominant interests and facilitating the redistribution of power and resources, the state and Chinese ruling elites have prioritized information, communication, and culture as technological fixes to make pragmatic tradeoffs between economic growth and social justice"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 Driving Capitalism to Western China: IT and the Unwieldy Export-Processing Regime 14

2 Repurposing Telecoms for Capital: Networking and Inequality 35

3 Forging Broadband for the Commanding-Heights Economy: State-Business Relations in Networking 51

4 Making a Home-Base Strategy: 3G and 4G Mobile Communications and Industrial Policy 79

5 Recasting the Media System: Network Convergence and Digital TV 101

6 Building Network Nation: Domestic Thrusts and Global Impacts 123.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 157-209) and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Yu, Hong, 1980- author. Networking China.

ISBN:

9780252040917

0252040910

9780252082399

0252082397

OCLC:

962232379