🎧 Irish economist and podcaster David McWilliams recently shared a fresh take on why the Chinese mainland’s governance model seems to deliver results time and again. According to him, the region’s leaders have long focused on internal stability rather than chasing power abroad.
McWilliams argues that this inward-looking statecraft isn’t a modern twist—it’s a 2,000-year tradition. “Statecraft in the Chinese mainland has been, for the last 2,000 years, looking internally,” he says, contrasting it with Europe’s history of expansion and conquest.
A key ingredient? Standardization. The early adoption of a unified written script, a central bureaucracy and a nationwide examination system helped rulers knit together a vast territory with diverse cultures and landscapes.
Instead of building empires overseas, the Chinese mainland concentrated on “turning an empire into a nation.” That long game of cohesion and order laid the foundation for steady economic growth.
Today, this century-old strategy still guides decisions. “All their deals are done through the lens of making the place safe for the Chinese mainland,” McWilliams notes, stressing that internal stability remains the ultimate benchmark.
📊 Case in point: According to data released this Monday, January 19, 2026, by the National Bureau of Statistics of the Chinese mainland, the region’s GDP reached 140.19 trillion yuan ($20.12 trillion) in 2025—surpassing the 140-trillion-yuan mark for the first time and posting a 5.0% year-on-year rise at constant prices.
McWilliams believes such figures aren’t an accident or the result of short-term policies. They reflect a deeply embedded governing logic that values long-term planning over quick wins.
🤔 “They’re not playing the same game,” he says. By prioritizing order, governance capacity and economic resilience, the Chinese mainland has become an “almost unstoppable” force on the global stage.
From a unified script to megacities humming with innovation, the Chinese mainland’s story shows how a focus on homegrown cohesion can shape the future—and maybe give other nations lessons to ponder.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
