Recently, a paper written by Bu Yanjun, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science of the School of International Affairs and Public Administration, and a researcher at the Institute of Marine Development of Ocean University of China (OUC), was published in Issue 4, 2026, of World Economics and Politics,a leading Chinese academic journalin political science. The paper is entitled “Is Technological Diffusion a Strategic Necessity? National Strategic Choices Under Dual Empowerment”.
The article argues that technological diffusion has long beena key driver of the evolution of the international system, particularly through its effects on how power is (re)distributed among states. For the host states, technology diffusion exerts a dual effect of diffusion backlash and diffusion dividends: while the diffusion of technology may undermine their technological advantages and even their power base, it can also consolidate their influence through exporting standards and constructing dependency structures. This uncertainty provides a significant incentive for states to intervene in technology diffusion.
States differ in their willingness to promote diffusion. When a host state is able to secure relatively stable diffusion rewards while maintaining effective control over the diffusion process, its willingnessand capacity to push forward technology diffusion increase accordingly. On this basis, the original spontaneous model of diffusion will evolve into the proactive model, featuring autonomy and strategic concerns. Conversely, when external pressure escalates, the competitive environment would reshape the host state’s assessment of diffusion benefits and control capabilities, thereby driving the evolution of technology diffusion toward a competitive model.
Different diffusion models lead to varying outcomes of power decentralization or centralization, further highlighting the dual empowerment characteristics of technology diffusion. This article develops an analytical frameworkthat focuses on diffusion benefits, control capabilities, and competitive pressure to account for the diffusion strategies of the host state, revealing the intrinsic relations between technology diffusionand the evolution of state power. The article also offers insights for China on how to further balance its dual identity as both a technology host and receiver state, and how to expand international application scenarios and market space for its technologies.
World Economics and Politics is a comprehensive monthly academic journal supervised by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and sponsored by the CASS Institute of World Economics and Politics. It has been rated as a top-tier AMI journal by the Evaluation Report of Chinese Journals of Humanities and Social Sciences, and has been listed several times among CNKI’s “Most Internationally Influential Academic Journals in China”.
