China | Chaguan

In Xi Jinping’s China, central planners rule

When one plan misfires, expect another laid on top

A lone fruit tree in the middle of a field of crops with a ladder leaning against the tree and a basket of fruit on the ground.
Image: Chloe Cushman

The problem with central planners is not that they make mistakes. After all, everyone is fallible: even (oh, the shame of it) newspaper columnists. The trouble with technocrats is how they respond when plans go awry. All too often, when goals are missed or policies backfire, their solution is another plan laid on top.

This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “China turns to central planning”

From the July 29th 2023 edition

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