CHINA’S first internet boom came in the 1990s when, instead of falling in line with the Silicon Valley, China chose to build an alternative internet universe for itself. Even in 1998, when Google was founded, only 0.2 per cent of the Chinese population was connected to the internet compared to 30pc in the United States. Rather than embracing Western technology, Chinese entrepreneurs adapted Western technological ideas to meet China’s unique needs, launching successful local digital products.

The success of these local tech products was driven not only by entrepreneurial efforts, but also by the Chinese govern-ment’s unprecedented support for a technological revolution in the first decade of the 21st century. As explained by Kai-Fu Lee in his book AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order, under the banner of mass innovation and mass entrepreneurship, Chinese mayors filled their cities with incubation centres, innovation zones, and government-backed venture capital funds.

This governmental support had a two-fold impact on China’s digital land-scape. First, it provided a lucrative opp-ortunity for innovative minds to create the next great Chinese startup. Second, it enabled Chinese startups to attract and retain local talent.

As a result, Chinese apps are now succ-essfully competing with, if not leading, their American counterparts. China’s restrictive internet policies and digital surveillance are underpinned by its ability to offer citizens viable alternatives to Western technology.

The transformation of China from an agrarian to an industrial society, and then to a technological giant, has enabled it to successfully implement a combination of legislative actions and technologies to fully regulate the internet domestically — culminating in what is known as China’s Great Firewall.

There is much in the Chinese example for us to learn from. Among the few Pakistanis who possess the skills to drive a technological revolution, many have chosen to take their talents abroad in search of better opportunities.

While these expatriates contribute significantly to the national economy through remittances, there is no visible plan to bring these talented individuals back to help achieve technological self-reliance.

Furthermore, the government should prioritise building trust by fostering an environment conducive to a technological revolution.

By nurturing a thriving landscape and creating a more inclusive and dynamic digital economy for technological entrepreneurship, the return of the Pakistani diaspora will become a natural consequence. That will, hopefully, take the country towards new heights of innovation, progress and economic stability.

Muhammad Usama
Gujranwala

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2024