Technology and State Relations: China Case

Technology and State Relations: China Case Özgür Yılmaz * Abstract: This study explores the intricate relationship between technology and the state, with a specific focus on China's strategic technological advancements and their broader socio-political implications. By examining China's digital platforms—WeChat, TikTok, and Weibo—alongside the concepts of techno-economy, techno-nationalism, metamorphic thought, and platform sub-imperialism, the research provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how technological innovation serves as both a tool of state control and a driver of global influence. China's state-led strategies, such as the "dual circulation" policy and initiatives like "Made in China 2025," reveal a dual approach of fostering indigenous innovation while leveraging global market dynamics. These strategies are deeply intertwined with techno-nationalist ambitions that seek to achieve technological self-reliance, enhance national identity, and establish geopolitical dominance. Moreover, the study highlights the emergence of platform sub-imperialism, wherein Chinese digital platforms act as instruments of both regional control and global economic expansion. The analysis situates China's digital infrastructure within the global platform economy, emphasizing its role in reshaping power dynamics, economic systems, and cultural narratives. By integrating concepts like metamorphic thought, the study also sheds light on the transformative potential of technological systems to dismantle existing power structures while creating new forms of resistance and identity. Through comparative analysis, the research reveals how China's approach to technology not only challenges Western-led models of globalization but also redefines the role of technology in contemporary statecraft. The findings underscore the need to critically engage with the implications of state-driven technological innovation, particularly in the context of global inequality, digital sovereignty, and geopolitical competition. Keywords: techno-economy, techno-nationalism, platform sub-imperialism, metamorphic thought, China Introduction The state plays a pivotal role in shaping the relationship between technology and society. By initiating, restricting, or leading technological innovations, it acts as a mediator that reflects and organizes the prevailing social and cultural forces within a specific time and space. This influence extends beyond mere governance of technology, embedding itself in broader societal structures and power dynamics. In the context of new communication technologies, the state's involvement is particularly significant in facilitating integration into the global capitalist system (Binark & Bayraktutan-Sütcü, 2008: 30). In this study, the state's relationship with technology is interpreted in the context of China's recent rising technology moves. It is clear that China has made serious breakthroughs in technology recently. This breakthrough is especially evident in the conflict with the United States. This conflict is particularly evident in the fields of artificial intelligence and microchips. There is talk that in the near future, the US will impose additional restrictions on the sale of semiconductor equipment and artificial intelligence memory chips to China (Bloomberg HT, 2024). In this study, the relationship between technology and the state is examined through the examples of China's digital platforms WeChat, TikTok, and Weibo. Afterwards, the concepts of techno-economy and technological nationalism are examined. In this study, comparative analysis of concepts is used as a method. The comparative analysis of concepts examines and contrasts various methods to clarify and understand concepts within specific fields. This approach focuses on identifying the characteristics, relationships, and usage of concepts across disciplines. It ensures conceptual clarity by systematically breaking down and comparing definitions, attributes, and theoretical frameworks from different sources or traditions. The process typically involves steps such as gathering and reviewing relevant literature, distinguishing between similar concepts, and analyzing their defining attributes. Comparative analysis can function as an independent research method or complement other methodologies, addressing ambiguities and aligning concepts with their disciplinary contexts. While terminological methods provide a systematic basis, they often require adaptation to meet the broader needs of academic research across diverse fields (Nuopponen, 2010: 2-9). Achille Mbembe's concept of "metamorphic thought" is utilized throughout the study. Achille Mbembe's concept of "metamorphic thought," inspired by Frantz Fanon's work, refers to a mode of thinking that addresses processes of transformation within colonial and postcolonial contexts. This framework views resistance against violence and oppression as not only a destructive force but also as a creative and reconstructive power. Metamorphic thought emphasizes critique as a dual tool: it dismantles oppressive systems while enabling the construction of new forms of social and individual identity. In this perspective, violence is understood not merely as a reaction to colonial domination but as a transformative practice through which freedom and humanity are reclaimed. Mbembe highlights how this mode of thinking transcends the trauma imposed by colonial structures, fostering a vision of equality and a reimagined sense of humanity. This concept serves as a lens to explore continuous change and the possibilities for renewal in the face of systemic dehumanization, offering pathways to both healing and the emergence of new social realities (Mbembe, 2012: 19-26). China's technology-driven development strategy aims not only to foster economic growth but also to achieve ideological and cultural transformation. The state positions technology as a tool for reinforcing national identity, strengthening sovereignty, and securing strategic advantages on the global stage. For instance, China's digital platforms such as WeChat, TikTok, and Weibo go beyond serving individual users; they act as spaces for advancing national narratives and state policy objectives. These platforms are designed as technologies that encourage ideological alignment and enable users to interact within a national framework. Moreover, China’s “dual circulation” strategy emphasizes fostering innovation in both domestic and international markets while striving for technological self-reliance. This strategy combines efforts to reduce dependence on foreign technologies with the creation of robust indigenous innovation ecosystems. Investments in critical areas such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence reflect a broader techno-nationalist agenda that seeks to enhance national security and economic autonomy. This dual approach highlights China’s role as both a participant in and a regulator of the global platform economy. Additionally, China’s technological nationalism includes ambitions to reshape global supply chains and establish international standards. The data collection and user interaction analysis capabilities of digital platforms have become not only economic assets but also strategic tools. These dynamics contribute to what is known as platform sub-imperialism, where digital platforms act as instruments of both regional dominance and global influence. By leveraging its digital infrastructure, China is redefining how technology functions as a force for transformation, not only at the national level but also within the global order. 1. Digital Platforms, Phones and Vehicles China's digitalization process has focused on developing its own national platforms that operate independently and autonomously, without reliance on foreign technologies or investment. This platformization was enabled by a deliberate, government-driven legal policy that regulates the digital economy and digital technologies. Through fragmented and vague local regulations, China successfully pushed global tech giants out of its markets. The ambiguity in legislation allowed Chinese authorities to protect the interests of domestic companies from foreign competitors. By blocking platforms like Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat, China not only excluded these Western sites but also the major business projects associated with them. In their absence, China established its own "technological trinity" consisting of Baidu (similar to Google and Yahoo), Alibaba (an alternative to Amazon and eBay), and Tencent (developer of WeChat, an alternative to WhatsApp). These platforms have collectively accumulated over one billion users worldwide along with extensive user data. For instance, the success of China’s MOOC educational platform, bolstered by direct government support, came at the expense of Coursera, which was effectively removed from the Chinese market. The digital landscape in China, including internet services, mobile communication, payment systems, artificial intelligence, and big data, is entirely dominated by national platforms. These platforms gather vast amounts of data, such as email, social media activity, financial transactions, online shopping, geolocation, and dating app usage, and share this information with the government. While this strategy enhances state security by limiting access to sensitive data by foreign intelligence agencies, it also exposes a lack of effective personal data protection mechanisms, granting relatively unrestricted access to the ruling party and law enforcement agencies (Troshchinskiy, 2021: 452). The first of the platforms examined is WeChat. WeChat (known in Chinese as Weixin, meaning "micro-message") is a mobile application launched in January 2011 by the Chinese multinational company Tencent Holding Limited. With over one billion monthly active u