Paul Irwin Crookes

China’s new development model: Analysing Chinese prospects in technology innovation

This article examines China’s innovation strategy as a key part of its economic development policy to achieve the next stage of the country’s domestic market modernization. The news that China now possesses the world’s fastest supercomputer appears to confirm the country’s inexorable journey from the world’s manufacturer and assembly hub to leading global innovator. However, this article presents an examination of broader-based innovation metrics which casts a different light on China’s position, showing that much work still remains to be done in order to lift domestic innovative activity to world-class levels. The country is certainly a challenger, but does not yet appear to have become a leader. The article draws on the latest research data of China’s innovative capabilities and links these to empirical assessments of the country’s information and communications technology sector to illustrate current strengths and weaknesses. In conclusion, it is argued that key inhibitors remain in the context of creating commercially sustainable competitive advantage in science and technology, and that the strengthening of moves towards nationalist innovation strategies may be counterproductive as China embarks on a critical phase of its engagement with the global research and development community.

China's Embrace of the Market Economy: Understanding Its Innovation Strategy:

The financial crisis now afflicting the worlds economies has Chinese leaders and citizens worried as the ripple effect from US markets aggravates already slumping Chinese markets. As the country attempts to improve its productive capabilities, enhancing Chinas capacity to innovate remains a top priority. The author explores the initiatives which are being taken both within the country and abroad, illustrating how the countrys competences within the innovation, technology and research field are being reformed in order to shape China for the future.The financial crisis now afflicting the world’s economies has Chinese leaders and citizens worried as the ripple effect from US markets aggravates already slumping Chinese markets. As the country attempts to improve its productive capabilities, enhancing China’s capacity to innovate remains a top priority. The author explores the initiatives which are being taken both within the country and abroad, illustrating how the country’s competences within the innovation, technology and research field are being reformed in order to shape China for the future.

The Political and Security Nexus of the Taiwan Strait and China’s New Military Capabilities

This article explores the political and security implications for relations between Beijing and Taipei in light of the recent election of a new Taiwanese president. Due to be inaugurated in May 2016, Tsai Ing-wen hails from a different point on the political spectrum to that of the outgoing leadership, introducing uncertainties in the political relationship with the mainland and casting light on the continuing importance of the United States as a security actor in the region. Concurrent with outlining the nature of this political change and the uncertainties this introduces, Paul Irwin Crookes evaluates evidence of a shift in the balance of military power across the Taiwan Strait, potentially changing the dynamics of decision-making for all sides in the event of future conflict.This article explores the political and security implications for relations between Beijing and Taipei in light of the recent election of a new Taiwanese president. Due to be inaugurated in May 2016, Tsai Ing-wen hails from a different point on the political spectrum to that of the outgoing leadership, introducing uncertainties in the political relationship with the mainland and casting light on the continuing importance of the United States as a security actor in the region. Concurrent with outlining the nature of this political change and the uncertainties this introduces, Paul Irwin Crookes evaluates evidence of a shift in the balance of military power across the Taiwan Strait, potentially changing the dynamics of decision-making for all sides in the event of future conflict.

A New Economic Relationship in a Changing World

Two of the three largest economies in the world, China and the EU, are rethinking their economic relationship, after decades of moving closer together. The future direction of that relationship will have major implications for the world economy, not only for China and Europe.

Conclusion: Optimism or Pessimism about the future of EU–China Economic Relations?

This chapter reviews the fundamental political obstacles to closer EU–China cooperation that have already been identified and classifies them in terms of their significance as a roadblock along with their likely durability. It divides the main areas of EU–China economic interaction into two categories: those where it is possible to be relatively optimistic about the development of closer EU–China economic cooperation, because of a conjunction of joint interest and a low incidence of political obstacles, and those more numerous policy areas where pessimism seems to be called for, either because EU and Chinese interests are in conflict or because domestic political obstacles to cooperation are unlikely to be resolved within a relevant timescale.

The Elephant in the Room: The Role of the USA in EU–China Relations

This chapter examines how relations between the EU and China are influenced by the very different interactions that each of them has with the USA. For one, America is a longstanding strategic ally and preferred economic partner, for the other, the USA is seen as global hegemon and a regional competitor, as well as the prime mover underpinning a policy of encirclement or containment of China. The chapter analyses these inescapable attitudes and explores how the growing economic links between Europe and the Chinese are beginning to change some European countries’ response to US preferences, concluding that the EU has become operationally dysfunctional in handling this triangular complexity.

Cooperation on Common Economic Challenges

This chapter examines cooperation between China and the EU in policy areas addressing common economic challenges, such as environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. The work programmes of four policy dialogues between EU and Chinese officials (environmental policy, climate change, energy policy, and urbanisation) are assessed in terms of their capacity to deliver knowledge transfer and business-level economic cooperation between EU and Chinese partners or to influence the policy of either side. The chapter concludes that a number of political obstacles to cooperation exist, including reluctance on the Chinese side to extend cooperation to joint business ventures in China, a lack of reciprocity in information flows, and, in some areas, competition between EU-level and Member State cooperation with China.

The EU’s Growing Links with China’s Reforming Economy

The chapter introduces China’s extraordinary economic re-emergence over the past four decades, the development of EU–China political and economic relations during this period, and how deepening contact has contributed to both economies. However, despite its dynamism, the EU–China economic relationship is shown to be under-developed and subject to growing tensions, taking as examples the large and persistent imbalance in two-way trade and its causes, the weakness of bilateral investment links, the limited role of China in the international monetary system, and lack of cooperation in industrial innovation and research. The causes and consequences of these persistent tensions are examined in the context of distinct policy domains that reflect the different priorities of each side.

The EU and China in the Governance of Global Financial and Trading Systems

The chapter analyses the latest developments in the institutional framework for international economic relations and the roles within the multilateral system played by China and the EU. The concept of global governance is examined to show how China and the EU engage with each other at the global level in the management of international economic exchanges and the evolution of financial and trading regulation. The chapter explains why the global economic system is so important to the EU–China relationship and offers analysis to explain why such interactions are becoming increasingly problematic. The argument concludes that, whilst progress is being made in some sectors, deep discord persists in others.

Innovation and Research

China and the EU are both economies that are restructuring and investing heavily in research and innovation needed to make them more productive. This chapter will examine areas of contrasting yet complementary abilities in China and the EU, presenting evidence to show that China enjoys competitive capabilities in incremental innovation but continues to be in a position of relative weakness in basic research and the commercialisation of disruptive innovation when compared to advanced industrialised economies such as the EU. Whilst on the surface this might show each side having shared interests and compatible talents, persistent political obstacles to closer partnership are shown to be inhibiting the trust-building necessary for future success.