THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN CHINA’S GRAND STRATEGY: LESSONS FOR PAKISTAN

China’s transformation within the past few decades is truly one of the greatest achievements in human history. China has rebuilt itself from being one of the world’s poorest countries into becoming a global leader. The main driver behind China’s rapid rise has been the planning and implementation of a grand strategy by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the crucial role that technology has played in this grand strategy. China opened itself up to the global economy and gradually increased its acquisition of foreign technologies. The CCP also launched various programs and strategies related to technology. Through its long-term planning, China significantly improved its science and technology related research and development (R&D) and incorporated new technologies in various industries, which positioned China into becoming a technological innovator and the potential global technology hub of the future. This paper examines the grand strategy of China and analyses the role that technology has played in it. The paper argues that China’s incorporation of various technologies across different sectors of society ultimately led to its rapid transformation. This paper also seeks to understand what lessons Pakistan can learn from China’s technological transformation.