ABSTRACT
Based on a cursory review of science and technology trends in China, the article argues that there is much of relevance in the Chinese experience for the Maghreb countries to emulate. China has used science to emerge strong, confident and capable of withstanding external pressures that would have otherwise seen it swing from one end of the ideological spectrum to the other. On the other hand, the Maghreb economies have not been as robust and confident and had to swallow wholesale the structural adjustment programme as prescribed by the World Bank, putting prospects of long-run growth at risk. The paper indicates areas for future Sino–Maghreb co-operation, and, at variance with SAPs, emphasises the role of the state in the promotion of science and technology for the development of the region.
