Why China Builds Faster Than the Rest of the World

"Do you think tech companies prefer operating in an engineer-led country like China, rather than America's lawyerly society? Companies generally prefer having some degree of rule by engineers. Because engineers are much more focused on doing very rational things, like figuring out how to build a great subway system. Perhaps their regulations are also more rational. That doesn't mean lawsuits everywhere are bad."

"Sometimes it is the case that the engineering state treats a lot of the society and the economy as simply another engineering problem. They try to engineer the population, first from not having kids, and now, into having more kids, or the economy, from valuing profitable sectors to delving too much into sectors that better serve the national interest. And these efforts often backfire, because the economy and society are not relatively simple systems like a really big hydroelectric dam."

National pride may need to be set aside to adopt effective governance practices from China. Many companies prefer some rule by engineers because engineers prioritize rational problem-solving, enabling projects like efficient subway systems and possibly more coherent regulations. Lawsuits and intellectual property enforcement remain useful in some contexts, but business elites often perceive Chinese authorities as aligned with commercial goals, as exemplified by executives praising facilitatory leadership. However, sudden policy shifts and top-down social engineering—shaping fertility and redirecting economic sectors—can produce unintended consequences. Societies and economies are complex systems that resist simple engineering fixes, making such interventions risky.

Read at WIRED