MEASURING CHINA’S TECHNOLOGICAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY: A COMPOSITE INDEX BASED ON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AND LITTLE GIANTS’ MODEL

Author(s): Zemtsov A.S.

Rubric: Domestic and foreign trade

DOI: 10.21777/2587-554X-2026-2-74-82

Release: 2026-2 (57)

Pages: 74-82

Keywords: technological self-sufficiency, composite index, China’s industrial policy, “national champions”, “little giants”, innovation capacity, supply chains

Annotation: The tightening of sanctions against China makes the assessment of its national innovation system’s capacity for autonomous development critically important. This article proposes a composite index of technological self-sufficiency that aggregates three components: innovation capacity, production capacity, and supply chain independence. The index builds upon a two-tier corporate model of “national champions” and “little giants” that encompasses large state-owned companies and certified small and medium-sized enterprises. Calculations for 2014–2024 show an increase in the index from 0.28 to 0.83, driven primarily by stronger supply chain in- dependence. Comparisons with international technology leadership indicators confirm the systemic nature of this shift. Before the sanctions, the model focused on catch-up development and expansion into international markets, and after that the focus changed to technological autonomy and a closed internal system. However, an asymmetry is revealed: the increase in production capacity is noticeably lagging behind innovative achievements, which creates a potential vulnerability of the model under further sanctions pressure.

Bibliography: Zemtsov A.S. MEASURING CHINA’S TECHNOLOGICAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY: A COMPOSITE INDEX BASED ON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AND LITTLE GIANTS’ MODEL // Economics and Management. – 2026. – № 2 (57). – С. 74-82. doi: 10.21777/2587-554X-2026-2-74-82