International Citation, Technical Knowledge Diffusion And China’s Technological Innovation

In the open economy, scientific literature is not only an important indicators measuring a country’s technical knowledge level, but also an important carrier spreading, cumulating and inheritaging technical knowledge. Knowledge is available to the public along with the publication, and then diffuses from one area to another along with literature citation. With the application as well as gradual improvement of network technology, obtaining technical knowledge through literature citation to futher enhance the ability of innovation is a shortcut for China to achieve technological catch-up. And as the subject citing international literature and a main factor of the absorption capacity, human capital play an import role in the technical knowledge diffusion of international citation.Firstly, we describes and analyzes the situation of China’s international citation, technological innovation and human capital from year 2002 to 2008. Secondly, we divide the technical knowledge diffusion of international citation into two stages, i.e. knowledge accumulation stage and knowledge appreciation stage. The empirical results using panel data sample of 29 areas in China’s mainland from year 2002 to 2008 shows that:In the first stage, technical knowledge stock, R&D investmen, human capital and information infrastructure effctively promote the technical knowledge accumulation of international citation. In the second stage, effects of technical knowledge diffusion of international citation on overall technical innovation, igestion and absorption imitation innovation as well as simple imitation innovation are significantly positive, while the positive effect on independent innovation is not significant. Besides, technical knowledge diffusion effect of international citation has a time lag. Thirdly, we analysis the roles of human capital in two stages of technical knowledge diffusion of international citation from theoretical and empirical angles. And the results show that:In the first stage, human capital significantly promotes the technical knowledge accumulation of international citation. In the second stage, technical knowledge diffusion effect of international citation has human capital threshold, and the role of technical knowledge diffusion of international citation enhances remarkably beyond thresholds. And technical knowledge diffusion of international citation needs the highest human capital threshold of technical knowledge diffusion of international citation affecting independent innovation.