Information Culture and Technological Competition: The Chinese Communist Party's Radio Communications and Reconnaissance, 1947.

This article highlights the technological competition between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist government in radio communications and reconnaissance during the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949). The article shows in 1947 the Nationalist government made serious efforts and significant progress in improving its use of radio technologies, which in turn compelled the Party to confront the technological challenges through institutionalizing its own radio communications and reconnaissance operations. It also reveals how the Party's security-focused information culture influenced its response to technological challenges, especially the decision to prioritize security over other essential functions of radio communications. These findings suggest that though the Party did adapt effectively to modern technologies in competition with the Nationalist government, its technological proficiency was ultimately constrained by the security-focused information culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]