China vs U.S. in an 'Internet Race'

avatar4d writes to mention an article on CIO about a new 'space race' on the internet between China and the U.S.. China is currently hard at work at what is being called the 'Chinese Next Generation Internet' (CNGI). With plans to unveil the project at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the network is part of a plan to leap ahead of the United States in innovation and technology. From the article: "The strategy, outlined in China's latest five-year plan, calls for the country to transition its economy from one based almost entirely on manufacturing to one that produces its own scientific and technological breakthroughs — using a new and improved version of today's dominant innovation platform, the Internet. 'CNGI is the culmination of this revolutionary plan' to turn China into the world's innovation capital, says Wu Hequan, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the chairman of the CNGI Expert Committee, the group overseeing the project. 'We will use it as a way to break through and be competitive in the global economic market.'"

Comments

How about China vs. Superstition?

[RobertB-DC]

While we in the US were watching Atlantis take off on what turned out to be a successful ISS construction mission, the Chinese were launching a quarter-ton of seeds into space:

Shijian-8 carries at least 2,000 types of seed samples from a variety of species including those grown in normal crops on Earth, as well as fungi. In all, about 474 pounds of seeds are stowed away aboard the satellite, according to the state-owned Xinhua news agency.

Heralded as China's first satellite primarily designed for space breeding, Shijian-8's seed payload will be returned to Earth after about two weeks of flight, the China Daily newspaper reported in July.

Sounds great, for them at least, doesn't it? Do some basic research. Get ahead of the Americans. So you can imagine the mental double-take at this tidbit from the same article:

After being recovered, the seeds will be used by researchers attempting to improve the quality and yield of terrestrial crops. Chinese officials contend that seeds exposed to space radiation and microgravity contain more vitamins and other crucial minerals.

WHAT? China's greatest minds put together a launch and re-entry vehicle, and "officials" load it with almost 500 pounds of seeds so that they will magically become superplants? WTF? Did someone in China not get the memo that their former occupiers are not *really* developing giant robots, and that Little Shop of Horrors is a work of fiction, not a battle plan?

The article claims that China will be a country that "produces its own scientific and technological breakthroughs". Sending a truckload of seeds to come back as food for the Fantastic Four sounds more like a continuation of the tradition that brought us tiger penis, rhinoceros horn, and bear bile therapies. And here I was, worried we were losing our edge.

Re:How about China vs. Superstition?

[cobbaut]

While we in the US were watching Atlantis take off on what turned out to be a successful ISS construction mission, the Chinese were launching a quarter-ton of seeds into space:

And while your shuttle fleet was grounded, they launched two manned spacecraft in orbit.

And while your country is spending gazillions on invading Iraq and others, they improve their economy with 10 percent each year.

The whole world knows that China is the real innovator and the next world superpower, when will Americans realize this ?

Re:How about China vs. Superstition?

[lysergic.acid]

Dissent from the government on their own time? What the hell does that mean? Preventing the truth about environmental deterioration from being disclosed or by disseminating misinformation regarding the problem prevents the public from making informed decisions in response to it. Having the public believe in lies that the plutocracy made up is no different from having the public believe in lies that the government makes up.

Cultural burdens for China

[Vexler]

China has historically been competing with the West, at various levels throughout history and national inferiority complex notwithstanding. During the 70's and the 80's, one of the most popular slogans was "Surpass England, Pursue America". Its "Four Modernizations" and various manifestations of five-year plans are simply more of the same.

It is interesting that China would do anything to give the impression that it is an advanced, highly evolved civilization, while everyone else notices cracks at the seams. The comment about space-born seeds having higher mineral and vitamin content would have been hilarious had they not been so astonishingly revealing about their collective peasant mentality.

They want to move away from manufacturing?

[Anonymous Cowpat]

So, er, who's gonna make stuff? Oh, wait, that means that all the western nations who's economies are moving ever closer to being entirely reliant on intellectual property with a real value of nil and are banking on the force of law and international treaties to bouy their economies up whilst shifting the manufacture of real goods to China will have to start making stuff themselves again.
Right now China has got us all over a barrel because they're where we get the majority of our goods, why would they fritter it all away moving to an economic model like ours?

Re:China.com

[geekoid]

"hey, if China's economy is going to based off technology innovations and scientific research, guess they'll have to start respecting IP laws..."

welll, thats a myth. Innovations are far older then IP law.
Just because we in the west think everything needs to be tied up doesn't make it so.

China seems to have a booming movie indutry.

Yes...but

[sgt_doom]

And while your country is spending gazillions on invading Iraq and others, they improve their economy with 10 percent each year.

Now just a second here, all those vile corporations of the military-industrial-corporate-congressional-prison -complex are making a fortune off of this unlawful invasion and occupation of Iraq. And China's economy is only improving so much because all of the American corporations (make that corporateers) keep sending all the jobs - in all categories - over there (along with Europe and the US, of course, I think France may be one of the few who haven't gone whole hog on that). So the multinationals have decided China is to be the next superpower as they love those totalitarian fellows......fortunately, they've started sending American hospital patients to India because their medicine is supposed to be done without sending anyone in space.....