What Jiang Zemin’s 2008 Vision Reveals About China’s Future IT Industry

The Far‑Seeing Vision of China’s IT Industry Development

Jiang Zemin’s 2008 paper, originally published in the Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University , outlines a 24‑character strategic guideline for China’s information technology sector: autonomous controllability, open compatibility, integrated fusion, military‑civilian interaction, market orientation, and leap‑frog development.

The paper stresses that the IT industry is a strategic high ground in global competition, noting that major powers such as the United States, Japan, and Europe have already established national strategies and control over core technologies and data resources.

Key technological trends identified include exponential growth in chip integration and processing power, larger wafer sizes, system‑level chips, and reduced power and cost. Network technology is expected to advance toward broadband, wireless, and intelligent directions, while mobile and fixed communications converge.

High‑performance computing will shift from peak speed to comprehensive information‑processing efficiency, with cloud computing virtualizing resources for user demand. Open‑source software, unified system platforms, and Software‑as‑a‑Service (SaaS) are highlighted as major development directions.

Strategic Priorities for 2020 and Beyond

Microelectronics : Build a complete autonomous innovation system, strengthen high‑end design, develop advanced ICs, and master key manufacturing equipment such as lithography and ion‑implantation machines.

High‑End Design Technology : Advance architecture, algorithms, and hardware‑software co‑design to create system‑level chips for mobile communications, digital TV, network terminals, and information security.

Key Manufacturing Equipment and Measurement Instruments : Overcome bottlenecks in lithography, etching, and packaging to enable large‑scale production of advanced chips.

New Materials : Explore silicon‑based photonic integration, mixed‑silicon chips, and non‑silicon materials to break power and feature‑size limits.

High‑Performance Computing : Develop high‑performance CPUs, GPUs, and supercomputers, focusing on multi‑core and many‑core architectures.

Software : Embrace open‑source trends, develop secure, high‑reliability operating systems, databases, and middleware, and promote SaaS as a key industry shift.

Network and Information Security : Strengthen network reliability, security, encryption, and content safety, building a trusted internet infrastructure and robust security services.

Key Components and Materials : Establish a complete ecosystem for components, including advanced packaging, high‑frequency devices, and new display and photovoltaic technologies.

These insights remain highly relevant today, offering guidance for advancing China’s IT industry, fostering innovation, and achieving strategic technological independence.