China’s Rise as a Supercomputing Power documents the country’s rapid development of its supercomputing technology from the late-1970s to the early 21st century. This culminated in the top rankings of the Yinhe and Tianhe series of supercomputers in the 1980s and 2010s respectively, cementing China’s position as a supercomputing giant. Supercomputing not only has scientific and military applications but also permeates every aspect of modern life from food production, drug development, and entertainment to transport. It now plays an increasingly important role in the advancement of science and technology. With more countries joining the supercomputing club with each racing to improve performance and develop new applications, it has become a strategic area for relentless global competition. At the beginning of the 21st century, Chinese companies such as Lenovo and Inspur introduced the Shenteng and Tiansuo series of supercomputers with important applications in education, oceanic research, weather forecasting, and biopharmaceuticals among other fields. However, these technological advancements continued to be perceived as always a little behind the West. China realized its supercomputing technology needed to break out of the mold of merely tracking and following initiatives from the West. Thus, the country decided to wage a ‘’decisive battle’’ against its international competitors in order to stand out, and developed microprocessors, an information processing system, computer network technology indigenously, and nurtured a team of scientific and technological talents. With the launch of Tianhe-2, China has taken the crown five consecutive times in the Top 500 rankings. Alongside the country’s commitment to supporting investment in supercomputing, the “tug-of-war” in supercomputers will only intensify in the coming years.
About the Authors
Introduction Supercomputing: The Most Advanced
Technology
Chapter One The Imagination of Youth
Chapter Two Like A Warrior Slitting His Own Wrist
Chapter Three The Great Man Assigns Officers Tasks
Chapter Four Breaking the Blockade
Chapter Five Young and Vigorous Strategic Weapons in a
New Era
Chapter Six Planning Ahead
Chapter Seven Time for a Decisive Battle
Chapter Eight Standing on the Top
Chapter Nine Championship and Dominance
For
-
Traces the development and evolution of China’s supercomputing industry from the 1970s to present.
-
Provides rare insider accounts of the struggles and complexities to compete and build China’s first supercomputers.
-
Explores China’s vision for its technological future and path toward a digitized society.