"China has long relied on its export manufacturing for economic growth, yet, because of the serious problems generated by this economic model, the Chinese state has tried to rebalance its economy. With the global economic crisis of 2008 and the related downfall of the global export market, the Chinese state took decisive and systematic actions to diversify their economy and declared information, communication, and culture as its next "pillar" industry. In this study, Yu Hong examines the political economy of this industry, focusing on how the state, in conjunction with market forces and class interests, constructs and realigns this designated pillar industry as well as the accompanying power dynamics. She points to the broad patterns of what has changed, and what hasn't changed, in the policy arenas as well as in Chinese business, given the national goal of fostering a new, strategically important digitalized sector. Hong investigates how state planners intend to build more competitive ICT manufacturing industries by modernizing the network infrastructure, ending China's industrial and technological dependence upon foreign corporations and possibly becoming a global ICT leader. Hong argues that instead of challenging head-on dominant interests and facilitating the redistribution of power and resources, the state and Chinese ruling elites have prioritized information, communication, and culture as technological fixes to make pragmatic tradeoffs between economic growth and social justice"-- "In recent years, China 's leaders have taken decisive action to transform information, communications, and technology (ICT) into the nation's next pillar industry. In Networking China , Yu Hong offers an overdue examination of that burgeoning sector's political economy. Hong focuses on how the state, in conjunction with market forces and class interests, is constructing and realigning its digitalized sector. State planners intend to build a more competitive ICT sector by modernizing the network infrastructure, corporatizing media-and-entertainment institutions, and by using ICT as a crosscutting catalyst for innovation, industrial modernization, and export upgrades. The goal: to end China's industrial and technological dependence upon foreign corporations while transforming itself into a global ICT leader. The project, though bright with possibilities, unleashes implications rife with contradiction and surprise. Hong analyzes the central role of information, communications, and culture in Chinese-style capitalism. She also argues that the state and elites have failed to challenge entrenched interests or redistribute power and resources, as promised. Instead, they prioritize information, communications, and culture as technological fixes to make pragmatic tradeoffs between economic growth and social justice"--