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

Well...

[PixelPirate]

While I have every faith in China to leap ahead of the United States in innovation -- given the current state of affairs (the latest iteration of the Scopes Monkey Trial in Kansas, the completely pacified American public ("yeah, there was no real reason we invaded Iraq"), not to mention the state of the American national awareness (Osama was friends with Saddam!) I don't see how all the other countries in the world COULDN'T leapfrog the States!

They may be onto something...

[gosand]

...the tradition that brought us tiger penis, rhinoceros horn, and bear bile therapies. And here I was, worried we were losing our edge.

You never know, they may be onto something. After all, they have people living in China that are older than our *country*.