Policy Brief: Tracking China's economic path

As the U.S. and China enter a new and contentious phase of their relationship, Stanford scholars are setting and expanding research agendas to analyze China’s economic development and its impact on the world.

Key Takeaways: 

• China’s changing economy threatens to leave millions of rural residents behind. Underinvestment in rural human capital, from infants to blue-collar workers, may spur polarization and complicate China’s quest to become a high-income country.
• China’s efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions are unique but can make a big difference in combating global climate change and warrant close attention.
• The legacy of China’s population control policies has proved unpredictable, persistent, and problematic.
• The tone of the debate on China in the United States directly impacts how Chinese citizens assess authoritarian rule at home.