ABSTRACT
Before probing into the specific issues of China’s ICT industrial growth, this chapter serves to establish a theoretical foundation for China’s industrial and trade policies during its economic liberalization process, and reviews them in their historical context. This review is essential to understanding China’s industrialization and development strategy, not least because China’s past and present industrial policy, along with its decision on WTO entry, are integral to the world’s development. They reflect China’s economic and political reaction to changes in the global political economy over time. An analysis of the implications of domestic economic policy needs to be considered in relation to international dimensions. In other words, the role of the Chinese government in developing the competitiveness of a particular industry should be examined from international, domestic and historical perspectives. It might be highly misleading to visualize China’s three decades of industrial reform without taking into account the bigger picture of world development.
