'A Tale of Three Sons': Fragmented Authoritarianism and Nuclear Technology Development in China

This article examines the relationship between political institutions and the mode of technology development in China’s nuclear energy industry. It is argued that the fragmentation in energy governance has resulted in the multiplicity of technology innovation strategies. Existing studies find state-led nuclear technology development often promotes single type of technology innovation in a country, but this is not the case in China. Two case studies in this article reveal that competing governmental agencies and three state-owned nuclear companies (the “three sons”) that monopolize the industry have produced multiple types of technology innovation strategies and repeatedly frustrated the central leadership’s attempts to unify the country’s nuclear technology. Even in a centralized authoritarian regime, according to the findings, industrial policy making and implementation can considerably accommodate a variety of interests and bargaining. This research also contributes to the academic debate on the roles of institutions in policy making and technology innovation.