Commentary
Thinking About China
Opinion
What Beijing’s Planners Thought Would Help Has in Fact Hurt China’s Economy
Beijing, in the face of severe economic challenges and even before Trump’s tariffs, pursued a technological solution that has only made matters worse.
A container ship arrives at the port in Lianyungang, in eastern Jiangsu Province, China, on July 14, 2025. STR/AFP via Getty Images
Milton Ezrati
Author
Milton Ezrati is a contributing editor at The National Interest, an affiliate of the Center for the Study of Human Capital at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), and chief economist for Vested, a New York-based communications firm. Before joining Vested, he served as chief market strategist and economist for Lord, Abbett & Co. He also writes frequently for City Journal and blogs regularly for Forbes. His latest book is "Thirty Tomorrows: The Next Three Decades of Globalization, Demographics, and How We Will Live."
