China's Quest to Engineer the Future | Dan Wang

China operates as an engineering state, prioritizing large-scale infrastructure and technological diffusion, while the United States functions as a lawyerly society characterized by regulatory obstruction and a focus on legal safeguards. This divergence stems from differing leadership compositions: China’s reliance on engineers and project managers contrasts sharply with the American political class, which is dominated by litigators and regulators. While the U.S. once excelled at constructing railways, bridges, and national projects, it has shifted toward protecting the status quo for older, wealthier demographics. Conversely, China’s state-led model, while effective at physical construction, faces severe human costs from social engineering policies like the one-child mandate and zero-COVID. To restore long-term prosperity, the U.S. must reform its permitting processes, increase scientific research funding, and embrace immigration to rebuild its capacity for national development.