Development with Chinese Characteristics: A Case Study of China’s Shanzhai Culture

Shanzhai (山寨) can be understood as a Chinese neologism for “fake”. Even though the origin of the word seems blurred, with studies associating it with at least three possible complementary origins, the concept gained notoriety through the popularization of the shanzhai products, counterfeits or copies of products, normally mobile phones (shanzhaiji) from well-known brands, with the characteristic of a low production cost from both material and incremental innovation perspectives. Although several authors have studied the concept through different perspectives, it can be observed a lack of studies presenting how the shanzhai phenomena serve as instrument to better understand the concept of “Innovation-driven National Development Strategy” proposed by China. This article fills this gap, approximating both concepts and demonstrating how shanzhai’s phenomena serve as a way to better understand the “Innovation-driven” strategy from China. Methodologically, this article presents an exploring review of the shanzhai literature, presenting its origins through both philosophical and economic lenses, as well as uses the instruments presented by the fields of Public Policy Analysis and Social Studies of Science and Technology (STS) to propose a dialogue of shanzhai with the “Innovation-driven” strategy. The conclusion demonstrates how shanzhai embodies China’s self-strengthening and development by borrowing Western technology while retaining cultural and philosophical core principles, a different movement from what may be observed in other countries of the global south.