Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
China is generating groundbreaking advances in electric vehicles, battery technology, applied artificial intelligence, and industrial robotics. Yet Chinese households are facing stagnant wages, consumption is weak, and public confidence in the economy appears to be declining. In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Alicia García-Herrero, a leading expert on Chinese economics, to unpack China's "dual economy." They discuss why President Xi has prioritized global technological leadership over economic opportunity at home, why many of China's most successful companies struggle to turn a profit, and whether rapid AI adoption will boost growth or imperil social stability.
To learn more, read Alicia García-Herrero's recent article in China Leadership Monitor, "China's Dual Economy: When Strategic Ambition Hollows Out the Foundation." (prcleader.org/post/chinasdualeconomy-whenstrategicambitionhollowsoutthefoundation)
China is generating groundbreaking advances in electric vehicles, battery technology, applied artificial intelligence, and industrial robotics. Yet Chinese households are facing stagnant wages, consumption is weak, and public confidence in the economy appears to be declining. In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Alicia García-Herrero, a leading expert on Chinese economics, to unpack China's "dual economy." They discuss why President Xi has prioritized global technological leadership over economic opportunity at home, why many of China's most successful companies struggle to turn a profit, and whether rapid AI adoption will boost growth or imperil social stability.
To learn more, read Alicia García-Herrero's recent article in China Leadership Monitor, "China's Dual Economy: When Strategic Ambition Hollows Out the Foundation." (prcleader.org/post/chinasdualeconomy-whenstrategicambitionhollowsoutthefoundation)
