ABSTRACT
The bourgeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication, draws all, even the most barbarian nations into civilisation. The cheap prices of commodities are the heavy artillery with which it batters down all Chinese walls, with which it forces the barbarians’ intensely obstinate hatred of foreigners to capitulate. This chapter shows that ‘niche’ actors in China are, to a great extent, established state-owned enterprises (SOEs), often with experience in fossil fuel industries. In other words, they may be classified as actors from an established sociotechnical regime. It also illustrates how different actors attempt to bring their own perspectives, needs and expectations into play in China’s wind and solar industry development. The Chinese government, the private enterprises and SOEs from various industry segments, European certification and advisory agencies, and international actors all have their idea of what they want from the industries and how the industries should develop.
