China is not only a producer of manufactured goods; it is also increasingly a nexus for innovation as a growing share of homegrown Chinese technology companies compete at home and abroad. The Chinese government views information and communications technology (ICT) both as the cutting-edge industry for China’s transition from a manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy, and as a general purpose technology that can affect almost every aspect of China’s economy and society. That is why a decade ago China designated “informatization” as a national strategy covering all areas of China’s modernization.
The word “informatization,” which has a very similar form to the word “industrialization,” refers not only to the ICT industry but also to the adoption of ICT in society and the economy. In order to maximize the potential of ICT, China has developed long-term, mid- term, and industry-specific ICT policies.
For long-term ICT development, the State Informatization Development Strategy (2006- 2020), published by the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and General Office of the State Council, sets forth China’s goals in informatization development for the next 15 years.1 In the strategy, nine key aspects are emphasized: promoting informatization of the national economy; popularizing e- government; establishing an advanced Internet culture; advancing informatization in sectors such as education, health care, and public safety; expanding information infrastructures (e.g., wireline broadband and 3G/4G wireless networks); exploiting information resources more efficiently; improving the global competitiveness of the