Science and Technology in Post-Mao China (Harvard Contemporary China Series) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0674794753 ISBN 13: 9780674794757

Publisher: Harvard University Asia Center, 1988

Synopsis

Along with the political and economic reforms that have characterized the post-Mao era in China there has been a potentially revolutionary change in Chinese science and technology. Here sixteen scholars examine various facets of the current science and technology scene, comparing it with the past and speculating about future trends.

Two chapters dealing with science under the Nationalists and under Mao are followed by a section of extensive analysis of reforms under Deng Xiaoping, focusing on the organizational system, the use of human resources, and the emerging response to market forces. Chapters dealing with changes in medical care, agriculture, and military research and development demonstrate how these reforms have affected specific areas during the Chinese shift away from Party orthodoxy and Maoist populism toward professional expertise as the guiding principle in science and technology. Three further chapters deal with China’s interface with the world at large in the process of technology transfer.

Both the introductory and concluding chapters describe the tension between the Chinese Communist Party structure, with its inclinations toward strict vertical control, and the scientific and technological community’s need for a free flow of information across organizational, disciplinary, and national boundaries.

About this title

About the Author

Merle Goldman is Professor of History, Emerita, at Boston University and Associate of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University.

Review

“The essays cover an impressive range of topics... The book offers a very valuable balance-sheet for professional analysts of China’s economic and scientific policies, and its case studies in particular may prove useful background reading for foreign businessmen dealing with corporate strategy and tactics. Since the whole economic reforms involve a fine balancing act between central planning and free market forces, between central control and the delegation and decentralization of power and authority―vital issues in developing countries of the Third and Second World―a book about the way China grapples with these problems should prove interesting also for comparative studies in modernization theory.”―Stefan B. Polter, Asian Affairs

“The studies brought together in this solid, meaty volume appear to add up to a fairly comprehensive treatment of China’s present scientific and technological condition... The book is a valuable addition to the literature relating to the relationship between science and the state, in the particular context of a centrally planned economy subjected to the rigorous primacy of political ideology.”―A. J. Robertson, Business History

“This careful and realistic overview of China’s past and present technological state presents an even-handed, historical account of the transition from Nationalist to Communist policies toward science and scientists... Well-integrated chapters make this an informative, readable, and fascinating account of China’s love–hate relationship with technology. Anyone who wants to understand the vagaries of Chinese policy toward science and foreign influences should enjoy this book.”―Martha R. O’Kennon, Science Books & Films

“Thanks to this original, clear, and vital collection, the place of technical and scientific issues in China today and in the near future can be understood by all. The editors have assembled 14 essays by established, respected specialists. Despite the variety of subjects―ranging from historical precedents, through present-day domestic policy emphases, to technology transfer from abroad―masterful introductory and concluding chapters draw everything into a unified survey that will serve intermediate and advanced students and observers of contemporary Chinese developments.”―Choice

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard University Asia Center
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0674794753
• ISBN 13: 9780674794757
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 476
• Editor: Simon Denis Fred, Goldman Merle