China moves up the value chain, to advanced manufacturing and increasingly frontier technology. Why the U.S. still claims to favor free markets.
The lack of a Marshall-style reconstruction program for China after World War II was neither accidental nor simply the result of Kuomintang (KMT) corruption or administrative failure. Rather, it reflected deliberate strategic choices shaped by U.S. priorities, racialized perceptions, fears of Chinese nationalism, and the short-term logic that guided early Cold War policymaking. From Washington’s … Read more
Although most of the world operates primarily under market-based economic systems, China stands out for having leveraged globalization more effectively than any other country. With the world’s largest industrial output, rapid technological progress, and expanding global influence, China has followed a distinctive development path. This path reflects a combination of historical legacies, deliberate policy choices, … Read more
Rare earth elements are neither truly scarce in nature nor an inherent, singular point of existential weakness for the United States. Their strategic importance instead arises from their role as a high-leverage chokepoint within modern industrial supply chains. The most complex, capital-intensive, and environmentally demanding stages—midstream refining and downstream magnet production—are overwhelmingly concentrated in China. … Read more
Introduction: From World Factory to Technology Exporter Over the last forty years, China’s position in the global automotive industry has experienced a profound transformation. Once primarily a recipient of foreign technology in exchange for market access, China has emerged as the world’s leading hub for new energy vehicle (NEV) innovation. Today, it exports not only … Read more
I. The Provocation: Generational Tensions in the Immigrant Experience The provocation at the heart of this generational conflict between first- and second-generation Chinese Americans is not a rejection of immigration itself, but a pointed critique of the assumptions that have underpinned the immigrant journey. Second-generation Chinese Americans, often referred to as ABCs (American-born Chinese), argue … Read more
Level 1: How Institutional Design Governs Work Behavior Before Culture Does At the most fundamental level, patterns of work and competition are determined less by cultural values than by the institutional environments in which individuals operate. When incentives, constraints, and protections are structured in specific ways, behavior adjusts accordingly. Europe offers a clear illustration of … Read more
The Cold War, lasting roughly from 1947 to 1991, shaped global geopolitics, economics, and technology. Its consequences were uneven: some nations were immediate short-term beneficiaries, while others gained in the long term. This analysis categorizes the effects on major countries and regions and explores China’s unique position. I. The United States: The Ultimate Winner? 1. … Read more
I. How State-Led Capitalism Operates in Practice China’s system of state-led capitalism is best understood as a pragmatic hybrid rather than an ideological extreme. It does not resemble Soviet-style central planning, nor does it follow Western laissez-faire principles. Under normal conditions, production and allocation are largely market-driven, with firms competing, innovating, and responding to demand … Read more
I. Gratitude or Reciprocity? Reframing the Meaning of China’s WTO Accession At the heart of debates over China’s rise lies a fundamental question: should China’s integration into the global economy be understood in terms of gratitude and patronage, or as the outcome of mutual interest among sovereign actors? The assertion that China “owes” its development … Read more
China’s rise is often framed in Western discourse not as a normal phase of development, but as a systemic disruption. Concepts like “rebalancing” are presented as neutral, technical responses—addressing trade deficits, market distortions, supply-chain vulnerabilities, or national security concerns. Yet, a closer examination reveals that such narratives function less as economic diagnoses and more as … Read more