Photonics in China

Photonics is regarded as one of the most pervasive and enabling technologies of the 21/sup st/ century. Increasingly, China has become a major international player within the photonics industry. Its enormous market potential offers tremendous opportunities for development of both consumer photonics and optical communications. At the same time, the Hong Kong SAR government is doubling its efforts to make Hong Kong the "photonics hub of Asia" with the industrial representative body Hong Kong Optoelectronics Association (HKOEA). This paper discusses an overview of photonics in China with its opportunities and challenges relative to Hong Kong and Taiwan. International collaboration issues are being addressed. This, coupled with significant industrial development in photonics over the last few years, indicates that China is making headway towards securing an important position in photonics technology. The role of Hong Kong's emerging photonics industry and her position in the China photonics development is also highlighted.