Front Burner The secret to China’s dominance
22 snips
Sep 26, 2025 
Dan Wang, a tech analyst and research fellow at Stanford's Hoover History Lab, shares insights from his book, "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future." He discusses why China, as an 'engineering state,' is poised for future dominance over the U.S., which he describes as a 'lawyerly society' mired in legal obstacles. Topics include China's vast infrastructure advancements, the impact of Deng Xiaoping's technocratic leadership, and the challenges of rapid growth. He also examines the decline of U.S. manufacturing and inefficacies of tariffs in revitalizing it.
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On-The-Ground Infrastructure Journey
- Dan Wang describes riding high-speed rail from Shanghai into Guizhou and biking through mountainous areas to observe infrastructure firsthand.
- He reports surprising levels of airports, tall bridges, and high-speed rail even in China’s poorer provinces.
Engineering State Over Old Labels
- Wang argues traditional labels like socialist or capitalist don't capture modern China's priorities and methods.
- He frames China as an 'engineering state' focused on building infrastructure, engineering the economy, and social engineering.
Zero COVID As An Engineering Project
- Wang recounts Zero COVID as an engineering exercise with a clear target: zero infections.
- He explains the policy used mass testing, tracing, strict isolation, and lockdowns to stop viral reproduction quickly.
