Open Book with Anthony Scaramucci How America Lost Its Edge And China Took Over - Dan Wang
Jan 22, 2026
Dan Wang, a research fellow at Stanford and author of "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future," dives deep into China's engineering-led governance and economic rise. He discusses the failed Western hopes of China's liberalization and critiques the optimism that overlooks strategic realities. Wang outlines China's unique dual strategy of control and delivery, and contrasts its manufacturing capabilities with Silicon Valley's innovation model. The conversation highlights potential U.S.-China learning opportunities and future flashpoints like Taiwan.
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China As Engineer-Led Power
- Dan Wang argues China's rise blends authoritarian rule with engineering-led governance, not simple capitalist vs socialist labels.
- He links his years in China to seeing engineers run policy while the U.S. is more lawyer-led and complacent.
Manufacturing Mastery Undermines U.S.
- China mastered manufacturing and now leads in fields like EVs and clean tech, challenging traditional American strengths.
- This technological and manufacturing lead undermines long-standing U.S. competencies in production.
Hope Mistook For Strategy
- Western hopes that markets would produce liberal democracy in China were more optimistic wish than strategy.
- That misjudgment created a long-term policy blind spot about how political systems respond to economic growth.
