Source: Things in the Industry
Author: Industry Storyteller
Recently, the China Survey and Data Center of Renmin University of China recently released a survey report titled “National Public Awareness Survey Report on Scientific and Technological Innovation.” The report surveyed various age groups and occupational groups in 341 cities across 31 provinces and municipalities nationwide, with over 3,000 valid questionnaires.
The survey question is: How do respondents view the relationship between “development and security.”
In fact, development and security have never been opposing forces, but in today’s Chinese society, “dualism” is very popular. Besides development and security, there are also state-owned enterprises versus private enterprises, virtual economy versus real economy, China versus the West, and so on. This way of thinking also holds true in the theory of Yin and Yang, such as the rapid development of traditional Chinese medicine in recent years.
So, how do the respondents view the relationship between security and development? The questionnaire has two questions: the first is “Development is the foundation of security, and not developing is the greatest insecurity”; conversely, the second is “Security is the guarantee of development, without security, there is no development.” Combining the statistical charts, there are four findings:
(1) Private entrepreneurs are the most clear-headed group
In question one, their score is the highest, at 4.33. In question two, their score is 3.37, second only to university teachers or scholars from research institutions. It can be seen that those who organize research and those who do research directly, that is, those who can hear the sound of gunfire on the front lines, all believe that China’s technology is still significantly behind developed countries and all recognize that only continued development can ensure security.
(2) The unemployed or unemployed group is the most conservative group
In question one, the lowest score is the unemployed or unemployed group, with only 3.93, showing the lowest recognition of their development. But this does not mean that they think China is lagging behind. On the contrary, they think that China is already far ahead of the West, so security is the first priority.
Therefore, the lower the social class, the more they recognize the logic of being far ahead. From the number of people, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology data in 2022, China has 6.35 million R&D personnel. The unemployed or unemployed group is not statistically counted by the official, considering that 600 million people have a monthly income of less than 1,000 yuan, so their number cannot be underestimated, and the difference in the sound they make is also very significant.
(3) Elites within the system have a clear understanding, but lack the impetus for reform
From the survey, the leaders of party and government institutions have a clear understanding of the importance of development. Although they are not the highest-scoring group, they also belong to a higher group, and their views are basically consistent with those of private entrepreneurs. This is in line with the basic situation of China’s development in the past, because in the past, local governments have made a lot of contributions in attracting investment and optimizing the business environment. They have escorted entrepreneurs, which has led to the miracle of China’s economic take-off.
Today, the overall view of this group has not changed much. In the future, they may release the impetus for reform at an appropriate opportunity, or they may live a mediocre life as a large group.
(4) Primary and secondary school teachers and student groups are only second to the unemployed or unemployed groups in terms of conservatism
From the scores, these two groups value security far more than development. In fact, there is another data in the report that can be compared with this, that is, young people aged 18-24 have a low recognition of private enterprise innovation. Obviously, they do not know who the real engine of China is today, but are only staying in the context of written or propaganda. In the past decade or so, schools have become increasingly closed and seriously out of touch with society, and education has rapidly transitioned from the function of a platform for class advancement to the function of ideological training.
Of course, this report also has a big problem, that is, some more interesting conclusions are not reflected in the text of the report, but you need to compare the statistical charts yourself, and then obtain them through thinking and research, so readers who are interested can find them themselves.
However, this may be a true portrayal of real China. After the baptism and precipitation of reform and opening up, you cannot say that today’s Chinese entrepreneurs have no innovative motivation at all, nor can you say that the elites within the system have no spirit of reform. In fact, they all retain some seeds deep in their hearts, but ordinary people cannot find out without going deep into them.
Source: Nidero, China Survey and Data Center of Renmin University of China
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