Liberalization & Deregulation

Internet Diffusion

Electronic Commerce

Hardware Manufacturing

Software Development 

Who uses IT?

IT Labor Market

IT Geographics

IT Financing

Government Policies

Legal Environment

Transborder Data Flows 

Analysis: IT Strengths & Weakness

Analysis: Impacts on the Business

Sources and Links

China has five special economic zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen, Shantou, and Hainan, respectively. Incentive policies are also introduced in Pudong New District of Shanghai to encourage faster economic growth. In these areas, it has become clear that high technology and science dominate local economic development. Experts predict that in the new century, the high-tech industry will receive a big boost in the country's SEZs. 

Zhangjiang High-Tech zone, incubated in 1997, in ShangHai PuDong has the nickname of "Chinese Silicon Valley". The city built a new software area and technology innovation area last year and 365 enterprises have joined the area since then. A brand new intelligent HuJi Garden occupies 18,000 m2 with more than 40,000 m2 building area. 9000 m2 office area and 6000 m2 residential area with 50% green coverage. 

On the other hand, Shenzhen is now China's largest industrialized base of information technology. Last year, Shenzhen topped major Chinese cities for turning out high-tech products worth 81.98 billion yuan (US$10 billion), which accounted for 40.5 percent of the city's total industrial output value. An increasing number of domestic and over-sea high-tech researchers have come to Shenzhen to start up businesses since it became a special economic zone 20 years ago, making it home to tens of hundreds of companies specializing in high-tech business. There are 1,500 factories producing computer components in Shenzhen. Thirty-six out of the world's top 500 companies and 150 large multinationals have set up high-tech businesses in the city. Dozens of China's state-level research institutions and major universities have headed down south to open research centers and bases that combine production, training and research. 

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