China’s innovation thrives on openness, even under authoritarian rule
The Dawning Information Industry's Sugon Dawn 8000 display at its booth at the World AI Conference in Shanghai last July | Bloomberg
By Kai Kajitani
Contributing writer
Nov 10, 2026
Understanding the reality of “innovation” in China and properly evaluating its technological capabilities is extremely difficult.
One reason lies in the ambiguity of the word “freedom” in Chinese society. While freedom of speech, especially speech concerning the legitimacy of the regime, is strictly suppressed, the industrial sector is marked by vigorous competition and technological innovation among private companies.
Accurately assessing this coexistence is no easy task. This briefing will therefore focus on intense corporate competition premised on the “free use” of technology — that is, technological openness — and will examine how it has affected China’s innovation and industrial competitiveness.
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