China Tech Trends

Silicon.com interviews Sage Brennan of Pacific Epoch about emerging business and technology trends in China. Brennan, a China expert based in Shanghai, says that despite bureaucracy and the trappings of communism, the Chinese economy is surprisingly similar to those of the West in terms of being consumer-driven. The Chinese, he says, are also heavy Internet users, blogging, chatting and posting to online forums, even in the face of government attempts at censorship. The Chinese workforce is also very mobile; in a seller's market, a skilled worker who speaks English has his or her pick of jobs.

Brennan believes the biggest weakness in the Chinese economy is a general lack of innovation, stemming from a centuries-old culture that values tradition instead of change. But Brennan believes that the Chinese will become more innovative over time as they are exposed to different ideas and see the value of innovation in their own economy.