The Inside Story of China's High-Tech Industry

The Inside Story of China's High-Tech Industry is a richly illuminating piece of scholarship that offers an interesting new perspective on the development of Beijing’s Zhongguancun high-technology district and the implications of Zhongguancun’s path for China’s future technological and economic development. . . . Zhou impressively captures much of the policy, structural and even geographic change that has occurred in Zhongguancun over the past three decades. . . . Valuable and impressive. * China Quarterly *
The most comprehensive and readable account of the development of the Zhongguancun (ZGC) high-technology area in Beijing to date. . . . It is by far the most informative and rich history of ZGC, and the combination of English and Chinese sources makes the evidence highly convincing. . . . A must-read. * Regional Studies *
A landmark contribution to China’s understudied R&D. This outstanding work represents some of the finest recent scholarship in Chinese urban and regional studies, which hopefully will lead to more case studies of individual industrial parks. I recommend it enthusiastically to those who are interested in science and technology development in Chinese cities. * Eurasian Geography and Economics *
Anyone who is interested in high-technology industrialization, regional innovation systems, development of domestic companies, and high-technology multinational companies in China should read this well-researched book. Overall, Zhou successfully presents a comprehensive account of the evolution of ZGC. The book is well-written and easy to read. Zhou's personal experience as a Beijing native and her intense interaction with the interviewees truly provides an insider's view. -- Peilei Fan * Economic Geography *
This book is the ultimate guideline for researchers interested in ZGC and the dynamic technological development of China in general. * The China Journal *
The development process of Zhongguancun is an amazing story. Every researcher and student on China who has not surveyed Zhongguancun ought to read The Inside Story of China's High-Tech Industry. I know of no other place where these crucial issues are explained as clearly and logically as they are in this book. -- Jici Wang, Peking University
An informed and very readable account of the growth of 'China's Silicon Valley.' As debates about China's capacity for technological innovation unfold, the arguments presented here will get increased attention. A fine primer for explorations into China's high-tech future. -- Richard P. Suttmeier, University of Oregon
This detailed study of the emergence of China's principal high-tech industrial cluster, demonstrating how it is shaped by both local and national processes and global high-tech networks, draws important conclusions about the conditions of possibility for technological dynamism and industrial evolution in the global periphery. It demonstrates that indigenous firms can out-compete TNCs in local and regional markets, that they can work with the resources and knowledge base of TNCs and established clusters, and that a developmental state can make a difference, particularly in a nation with a large and distinctive domestic market. In short, this book is essential reading for those seeking to understand the dynamics of and possibilities for industrial development in the former third world. -- Eric Sheppard, University of California, Los Angeles
Most of the stories about China's technology industry are completely contradictory: China will either soon become a technology superpower or is unlikely to escape from its dependence on Western technology. By focusing on emerging Chinese companies and their interaction with multinational technology firms, Yu Zhou bridges these two competing views, bringing a much needed clarity to a rapidly changing market. Filled with the details that can only be gleaned from in-depth field work, The Inside Story of China's High-Tech Industry is a valuable contribution to the debate about China's technological future. -- Adam Segal, Council on Foreign Relations