China’s rise defies the monolithic authoritarian view; its actions reflect politics, economics, history, regional priorities, warning against flawed policy.
China’s commitment to domestic substitution extends beyond technological or economic considerations; it is a strategic choice shaped by historical lessons, contemporary threats, systemic security, and the imperatives of a civilization with 1.4 billion people. This focus on self-reliance is fundamentally about the right to survival and development, a rational response to technological bottlenecks and external … Read more
Former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) long argued that China would struggle to reach the global frontier of creativity because its political system constrained dissent, independent thinking, and intellectual freedom; in his view, China would excel at absorbing and refining foreign technologies but not at pioneering them. Yet today, China has produced notable … Read more
China pursued an industrial strategy that emphasized protecting national sovereignty, learning progressively, and implementing changes gradually, in stark contrast to countries that opted for rapid liberalization and consequently lost influence over their industrial development. Sovereignty and Control Over Foreign Capital China has consistently prioritized maintaining national sovereignty in its economic development, in contrast to countries … Read more
In Powerful, Different, Equal: Overcoming the Misconceptions and Differences Between China and the US (2019), Peter B. Walker argues that China’s absence of public elections for top officials does not equate to a dictatorship, as is often assumed in the West. Rather, the country functions as a complex meritocratic system, where the authority of leaders … Read more
By pursuing pluralistic learning and strategic integration, China avoided dependence on foreign technology and developed its own high-tech systems. By the 2010s, this approach had enabled the country to move beyond its role as a low-cost manufacturer, emerging as a front-runner in selected advanced technologies. China’s Path to Technological Independence Through Strategic Innovation China’s technological … Read more
This piece looks at how top leaders are chosen and groomed in different systems—from Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) to China’s Communist Party of China (CPC), and even the papal election in the Catholic Church. It explores how small, elite groups shape leadership, maintain stability, and ensure continuity, showing that behind every leadership transition is … Read more
Franklin D. Roosevelt was able to serve four presidential terms. Similarly, it is plausible that Xi Jinping could serve four terms, especially against the backdrop of ongoing trade and technology tensions between the United States and China. In some respects, Xi Jinping can be seen as a 2020s counterpart to Franklin D. Roosevelt. The analogy … Read more
China faces an asymmetric playing field — the U.S., Europe, Russia, Japan, and India can trade sensitive technologies among themselves, but China is systematically excluded. This creates a global industrial ecosystem where China is now the world’s sole manufacturing superpower. The Manufacturing Superpower Asymmetry Richard Baldwin’s observation is striking: China now produces more than the … Read more
The concept of the U.S. fostering its foundational education and producing enough STEM graduates to meet its own needs, rather than relying on imported talent, is a widely discussed and highly sought-after goal. Nevertheless, realizing it is extremely difficult due to a combination of systemic educational shortcomings and broader societal factors. Challenges in the U.S. … Read more