China has attracted a good deal of attention for its ambition to become a global leader in nanotechnology. This study explores China's ambitions in this area, through interviews with 21 Chinese experts in nanotechnology fields. Using several theoretical concepts that draw from science and technology studies (STS), results show that any understanding of these ambitions must take into account social and historical contexts, practical support offered by the government nanotechnology R&D, and other factors that effect China's nanotechnology development. Such a focus shows a gap between ambition of being a leading nation in nanotechnology and reality. While noteworthy achievements have been accomplished in China's nanotechnology development largely due to policies of the government, informal regimes shaped by legacies of the past will continue to hinder its efforts to move ahead in this global race.
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