On CNet News, Robert Holleyman, president and CEO of the Business Software Alliance, writes about a recent survey undertaken in China by his company:
While China’s economy has grown largely on the strength of its manufacturing base, the country increasingly aspires to be a leader in higher-value fields. Those aspirations have led many around the world to worry that China’s rise could depreciate its competitive advantage and, potentially, result in its decline.
But what do the Chinese make of all this? It’s often difficult to know. Public opinion polling isn’t exactly common in China. The Business Software Alliance recently set out to clarify these mysteries and commissioned a unique survey of elites within China. This group of 100 leaders included senior government officials, CEOs, academics and top-tier media. And unlike a traditional survey, ours was based on extensive, detailed personal interviews.
What did we find? First, despite formidable barriers to China’s growth, leaders in China display an overwhelming sense of optimism about the country and its future. But after learning last quarter that China’s economy is currently growing at its fastest pace in 12 years, their optimism isn’t really that surprising. [Full text]