(introductory text...)

The countries of Asia vary widely in their social and economic characteristics, their recent histories, the different technology policies they have pursued, the different periods during which they embarked on industrialization, and the technology spectrum that was then available. The country studies that have been presented reveal the outcome of the interplay of these factors within the individual countries. Before attempting any generalizations about technological self-reliance and acquisition in Asia, it is useful briefly to recall the salient technology-acquisition experiences of the individual countries.