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The political economy of China's cloud
A deep dive.
 • 
JS Tan
The "China as superpower" vs "China in crisis" narrative
China's manufacturing prowess is sustained by the very conditions (low labor costs, minimal social policy, and currency devaluation) that create the…
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JS Tan
Tariff Wreckage: The Myth of America's Manufacturing Comeback
Trump’s tariffs promise industrial revival. Even if it does, it overlooks the simple fact that fixing American industry alone won't restore middle-class…
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JS Tan
6
Are data centers a new growth engine for developing countries?
The Malaysian government is counting on attracting data center investment to transform the country into a digital powerhouse. But is this a viable path…
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JS Tan
1

March 2025

From Fordism to the Platform Economy: The Evolution of Firm Strategies
How firms went from building it all to building nothing at all.
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JS Tan
6
Industrial Policy for the Knowledge Economy: The case of Hangzhou
How the city's talent-focused policies fueled a high-tech revolution.
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JS Tan
3
How Every Superpower Stole Its Way to the Top
The U.S. stole its way to the top—now it's trying to stop China from doing the same.
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JS Tan
5
Why China’s AI Strategy Differs from that of the U.S.
Divergence in AI commercialization (Part 2): China excels in consumer platforms but struggles in enterprise software.
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JS Tan
 and 
Grace Shao

February 2025

Divergent Approaches to AI Commercialization (Part 1): Comparing the U.S. and China
Whether or not AI is just hype will depend on its commercialization. The U.S. and China are taking fundamentally different approaches to this problem.
 • 
JS Tan
 and 
Grace Shao
1
How we forgot about production—and why it’s back on the agenda
A brief history of economic value from the factory floor to the platform economy.
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JS Tan
3
The untold story of Twitter’s union drive and how Elon Musk busted it
We were helping organize a union at Twitter when Musk took over the company. Here's what we learned from witnessing his playbook up close.
 • 
JS Tan
 and 
Clarissa Redwine
Why Trump's tariff won't revive American industry
Yet his (and Elon Musk's) efforts to gut state capacity and reverse Biden's industrial policies will only ensure America falls further behind.
 • 
JS Tan
3
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