Miles ahead: impressions of a China visit

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: someone gifts you a Mont Blanc pen, you may want to know where it came from.

China’s ability to create infrastructure of high quality at breakneck speed and its huge capacities for mass manufacture of industrial products has been written about times without number. There is no doubt that China would continue to roll out this infrastructure and spread industrialisation to its western parts. However, the Chinese seem to be increasingly aware that there are limits to this model that relies on mass manufacture, particularly of light industrial products and copying of products made in the West. They know that if China has to dominate the global economy in the future, their organisations and companies must move towards creating leadership in creating and mastering new technologies. They’re now investing heavily to realise these goals.

In particular, the Chinese are focused on developing capabilities in information technology and biotechnology. And following a multi-pronged strategy to this end. There is awareness that in IT software, China has lost the race to India, and that in biotechnology, they must act fast to be leaders, at least among developing nations. They are convinced “bio-industry will be the pillar of the global economy.” And are already miles ahead in creating the necessary physical infrastructure.

Our delegation visited five hi-tech zones in Beijing, Tianjin, Pudong, Nanjing and Nanchang. The scale of investments already made in these facilities is impressive. The Zhongcuangun Life Sciences Park at Beijing, when complete, will be one of the biggest of its kind in the world. With all facilities in one campus— companies, incubators, hospitals, animal houses, universities, schools, recreational facilities, manufacturing plants, R&D facilities, etc.

Indeed, the presence of all ingredients on one campus is common to all hi-tech and special zones scattered across China. Another common factor is the business facilitation services provided by administrators of these parks. At the Tianjin hi-tech zone, members in our delegation were offered rent-free accommodation for two years for starting a biotech unit. All the clearances were available in the main administrative building, which also housed a bank willing to give loans at 6%.