Interesting Times with Ross Douthat Does the Future Belong to China?
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Sep 4, 2025 
Dan Wang, a keen observer of contemporary China and author of “Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future,” dives into the fierce U.S.-China rivalry. He explores how China's engineering-driven governance accelerates innovation compared to America's legalistic approach. Wang discusses the historical context of autocratic regimes fostering innovation, the implications of China's rapid industrial growth, and what the future might hold for both nations. He also addresses the complexities of AI development and the motivations behind migration from China.
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Surprising Infrastructure In Poor Provinces
- Dan Wang biked through Guizhou and found world-class infrastructure in China’s poorest provinces.
- He contrasted Guizhou’s bridges, airports, and roads with poorer U.S. infrastructure to show China simply builds a lot.
Engineering State Versus Lawyerly Society
- Dan Wang frames China as an 'engineering state' ruled by technocrats focused on building and execution.
- He contrasts this with the U.S. as a lawyerly society that excels at stopping things rather than building them.
State As An Economic Engineer
- Engineers treat the economy as a hydraulic system of valves and dials to be adjusted by the state.
- Xi engineered property and tech crackdowns to redirect talent into strategic industries like semiconductors and aviation.
