Pekingology China’s Quest to Engineer the Future
9 snips
Sep 4, 2025 
Dan Wang, a research fellow at Stanford's Hoover History Lab and author of 'Breakneck', shares insights on China's ambitious engineering projects and its tech dominance aspirations. He discusses the tension between monumentalism and practicality within China’s infrastructure, contrasts it with Silicon Valley, and analyzes Beijing’s social engineering policies, including its zero-COVID response. Wang explores how Marxist ideology shapes governance and engineers' perspectives, advocating for a collaborative approach in U.S.-China relations.
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Monumentalism Over Everyday Needs
- China favors monumental, large-scale projects that signal political prestige and look impressive from above.
- This monumentalism often overlooks small-scale human needs and everyday functionality.
Overbuilding Trades Profit For Resilience
- China frequently builds without strict financial efficiency, creating debt burdens for local governments.
- Overbuilding creates resilience in crises but risks long-term affordability and unsustainable assets.
Process Knowledge Powers Tech Catch-Up
- China excels at process knowledge: tacit skills and engineering communities that circulate expertise across firms.
- That practical know-how underpins rapid industrial upgrading and technological catch-up.
