Introduction: The PRC as a Tech Power

China watching in the ‘New Era’: A guide (Council on Geostrategy, 2022)

(20 minutes)

This explainer consists of the author’s views and experience of ‘China watching’ spread over four decades. It is meant as a practical guide, mainly, but not exclusively, with government officials in mind. It looks at the basic framework of knowledge which needs to be already in place; what needs to be read; advice on how to read material; and caution against some traps. 

How does the Chinese Communist Party operate? (South China Morning Post, 2021) (10 minutes)

Provides a very basic overview of the party-state institutions. It does not explain how policy-making/enforcement works in practice.

China Primer: China’s Political System (US Congressional Research Service, 2025) (15 minutes)

Useful resource on the structure of China’s party-state, introducing select features of the PRC political system. 

The Tech Edge (CSIS, 2026) (15 minutes)

• Watch the 3 minute introductory video

• Read the Executive Summary

The Tech Edge Project is the CSIS Economic Security and Technology (EST) Department’s flagship initiative on U.S.–China technology competition. It introduces a new framework for assessing the ecosystem drivers that shape long-term technology leadership—not just who leads today, but who is positioned to win over time.

China Is Rapidly Becoming a Leading Innovator in Advanced Industries (ITIF, 2024) (20 minutes)

Read only:

• Key Takeaways

• Introduction

• "China's Dream: Techno-Economic Leadership"

• Conclusion

“If China can develop new-to-the-world innovations ahead of, or at the nearly the same time as, the United States and allied nations, its potential to displace U.S. (and allied) technology-based companies and capabilities becomes much more likely, especially because China benefits from significant economies of scale and a government laser focused on global best-in-class science and technology policy for competitiveness.”