Go into most shops nowadays and you will find an infinite variety of goods made in China. These goods can range from low-priced sweaters and socks to high-value electronic products such as VCRs or tape recorders. China is a huge manufacturing base for firms from all over the world which invest in China to benefit from China’s low-cost but highly skilled and disciplined workers.
For decades, US policymakers have preferred piecemeal tactical actions, while the Chinese government has consistently taken a more strategic approach. This mismatch is the reason why Huawei, to the shock of sanctions-focused American officials, was able to make a processor breakthrough in its flagship smartphone.
warns that short-termism will never be enough to offset the long-term benefits of strategic thinking.
With a democratic recession underway in many countries, one now commonly hears talk of democratic “backsliding” on a global scale. But not only is that term misleading; it also breeds fatalism, diverting our attention from potential paths out of the new authoritarianism.
thinks the language commonly used to describe the shift toward authoritarianism is hampering solutions.
Ashoka Mody
explains the roots of the lack of accountability in India, highlights shortcomings in human capital and gender equality, casts doubt on the country’s ability to assume a Chinese-style role in manufacturing, and more.