ABSTRACT
The chapters in this book leave little doubt that China has been caught up in a global ‘Internet rush’ that is primarily concerned with the practical application and exploitation of ICTs. Yet the emergence of an information age that includes a knowledge-based economy and a learning society is also prompting the widespread reorganization of economic, political, and social relations not only within national societies but across borders too. A central movement that is promoting this tendency is what might be called the global ‘Silicon Valley Wave’. This is a trend that tries to harness the benefits of broader changes in the relations of production by emulating the original Silicon Valley in California. It can be seen throughout the world in projects such as Singapore’s ‘Intelligent Island’, Malaysia’s ‘Multimedia Corridor’, Scotland’s ‘Silicon Glen’ and Israel’s ‘Silicon Wadi’. Within the PRC, it can be seen for example in the concentration of high-tech research and development at Beijing’s Zhongguancun science and technology park.
