Globalização da produção e desenvolvimento tecnológico: ascensão chinesa e a disputa no setor de telecomunicações

Abstract

The People's Republic of China constitutes a distinc case for the research in development studies, as it has in recent years moved towards the technological frontier across various sectors and possesses a specific and complex political structure. Given technological development as a crucial driver of economic transformation and political power for states, there has been observed in recent years a Sino-American rivalry in the telecommunications sector. Amidst this rivalry, the trajectory of internationalization, leadership in the telecommunications equipment industry, and the sanctions faced by Huawei Technologies Co. foster discussions about the relations between the state and the market. Primarily due to its geopolitical implications, which involve, among other factors, the regulation, standardization, and access to target markets for 5G and 6G technologies, as well as the control of underlying and related technologies, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Based on a literature review, this dissertation aims to discuss the relations between technological development and the Chinese state's power capacity in the context of globalization, with a focus on the telecommunications sector and the Sino-American technological dispute. The research was divided into three chapters. The first chapter discussed and theoretically articulated the concept of "structural power" as an analytical category of international relations, the relations between technology and power, and the process of globalization and international fragmentation of production as drivers of change in the political realities of states and corporations. The second chapter analyzed the trajectory of the telecommunications industry in China, the role of its "National Innovation System" in expanding technological capabilities, and Huawei's domestic development and internationalization strategy. The third chapter mapped the resources involved in the Sino-American trade-tech dispute, such as "5G," Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data in the context of datafication and digitalization of the economy, as well as the sanctions and responses within the conflict under examination, particularly in the processes of securitization and network standardization. In conclusion, it was evident that the People's Republic of China adopted state policies aimed at developing its high-tech industry through strategic investments in R&D, thereby promoting its National Innovation System and national corporations in international trade. Specifically in the telecommunications equipment sector, this development enabled one of its corporations, Huawei, to achieve global leadership, capturing the largest share of revenues in its segment and gaining the capability to respond to sanctions.