Back to the future of self-reliance for China’s military technology
Xi Jinping invokes the Chinese scientific successes of the past to modernise the armed forces, but can the country really go it alone?
The Chinese leadership is banking on a revival in self-reliance to add momentum to its military modernisation drive as tensions with the United States threaten to deny China access to essential technology.
But analysts say there would be a price to pay for going it alone.
China’s technological vulnerability was highlighted earlier this year when Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE was pushed to the brink of financial collapse by a US ban on the sale of American parts and software to the company.
The ban was in retaliation for violations of US sanctions against Iran and North Korea, and would have deprived the Chinese firm of necessary components. The US administration eventually lifted the ban when ZTE agreed to pay a US$1 billion fine, among other conditions.
But before the deal was struck, Chinese President Xi Jinping again urged top scientists and engineers in China to strive for breakthroughs in core technologies by “self-determination and innovation”.