In the 1980s, China faced the monumental task of creating, from scratch, internationally competitive companies. This challenge was especially daunting in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. The Inside Story of China's High-Tech Industry describes the emergence and growth of this industry in China through a historically situated analysis of China's leading science park, Beijing's Zhongguancun, also known as China's Silicon Valley. Zhou challenges the prevailing view that foreign multinational corporations and exports are the driving forces for technological progress in less developed countries by arguing that, in the case of China, it is the conjunction of domestic and export markets that has provided the main impetus to technological learning and the development of industry competitiveness. This is the best treatment to date of China's most important innovation region. It will be useful for scholars and students in the fields of economics, regional sciences, geography, planning, sociology, information technology, and business management, as well as for anyone interested in the rise of China and global technological development.

"The Inside Story of China's High-Tech Industry is a richly illuminating piece of scholarship that offers an interesting new perspective on the development of Beijing’s Zhongguancun high-technology district and the implications of Zhongguancun’s path for China’s future technological and economic development. . . . Zhou impressively captures much of the policy, structural and even geographic change that has occurred in Zhongguancun over the past three decades. . . . Valuable and impressive." - China Quarterly

"The most comprehensive and readable account of the development of the Zhongguancun (ZGC) high-technology area in Beijing to date. . . . It is by far the most informative and rich history of ZGC, and the combination of English and Chinese sources makes the evidence highly convincing. . . . A must-read." - Regional Studies

"A landmark contribution to China’s understudied R&D. This outstanding work represents some of the finest recent scholarship in Chinese urban and regional studies, which hopefully will lead to more case studies of individual industrial parks. I recommend it enthusiastically to those who are interested in science and technology development in Chinese cities." - Eurasian Geography and Economics

"Anyone who is interested in high-technology industrialization, regional innovation systems, development of domestic companies, and high-technology multinational companies in China should read this well-researched book. Overall, Zhou successfully presents a comprehensive account of the evolution of ZGC. The book is well-written and easy to read. Zhou's personal experience as a Beijing native and her intense interaction with the interviewees truly provides an insider's view." - Economic Geography

"This book is the ultimate guideline for researchers interested in ZGC and the dynamic technological development of China in general." - The China Journal