Ning Leng (@leng

Ning Leng

300 posts

Ning Leng

@leng_ning

Asst Prof @Georgetown @McCourtSchool #WilsonChinaFellows | China, political economy, authoritarianism, China in LatAm | Author of Politicizing Business

Washington, DC

sites.google.com/view/ning-leng…

Joined August 2018

Pinned
Ning Leng
@leng_ning
Sep 25, 2025
My new book, *Politicizing Business*, releases today @CambridgeUP! Central theme: in China’s political economy, the Party-state systematically enlists businesses to serve its political needs and those of its officials. The politicization of business is rooted in authoritarianism
Politicizing Business
From amazon.com
Ning Leng
@leng_ning
Jun 16
A big thank you to macroeconomist Marcus Nunes for such a thorough discussion and critique of my Foreign Affairs piece.👇 I highly recommend reading his article, particularly the section on how waste in China could affect the world. It also offers a helpful summary for those who
Ning Leng
@leng_ning
Jun 14
Totally agree with this great analysis by @michaelxpettis. I would add that the design of China’s post-2008 stimulus plan accelerated and intensified the broader problem of wasteful investment. It added powerful economic incentives to existing political incentives, encouraging
Michael Pettis
@michaelxpettis
Jun 14
Ning Leng makes an important point here: "Over time, state-owned enterprises expand in these spaces because their soft-budget constraints make them better able to absorb the costs of visibility projects." In a 2012 Carnegie piece I warned that China was finding it increasingly
Ning Leng
@leng_ning
Jun 13
Another unexpected outcome of visibility projects is their effect on the private sector. To avoid blame or simply because they lack funds, government officials often ask firms—private and state-owned—to "sponsor" these projects in China. But when the visibility projects become
Foreign Affairs
@ForeignAffairs
Jun 12
“Visibility projects reflect an uncomfortable reality for Chinese leaders: the Chinese state appears more capable than it actually is,” argues @leng_ning. foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas-e…
Ning Leng
@leng_ning
Jun 12
My new piece in @ForeignAffairs explains why it is so difficult for the Chinese government to stop misallocation of resources and wasteful spending, how waste in China differs from waste in democracies, and what it means for China’s development.
Foreign Affairs
@ForeignAffairs
Jun 12
“Visibility projects reflect an uncomfortable reality for Chinese leaders: the Chinese state appears more capable than it actually is,” argues @leng_ning. foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas-e…

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