The Economics Show podcast episode features Dan Wang, author of „Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future,“ discussing the unique strengths and vulnerabilities of China’s technocratic rise. Wang characterizes China as an „engineering state, a nation where rapid construction and innovation in infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology have propelled its ascent to superpower status.
Yet, breakneck growth has led to challenges like overproduction and deflation, with Beijing now striving to boost domestic demand and avoid instability. Wang details how China’s focus on building comes with social costs, from rigid policies like the one-child and zero-Covid initiatives, to a tendency for leaders to view citizens as aggregates for management rather than individuals. The episode underscores the dilemmas China faces in balancing relentless development with sustainable economic prosperity and human well-being. To know more about these insights, listen on Apple Podcasts.