What I found most interesting about Professor Mertha’s talk last week was his unique stance: while the general consensus is that China is set to surpass the United States as the world’s economic power, Professor Mertha argues that this may not necessarily be the case. In examining China’s relationship with Cambodia, Prof. Mertha has discovered great inefficiencies and a general lack of efficacy in China’s bureaucracy. Upon uncovering top secret Chinese government documents, Prof. Mertha realized how difficult it is for China– a massive country– to maintain and run an accordingly massive bureaucracy. Often when thinking to China, we cite the quantifiable: GDP indicators, the one-child policy. These data points drive us to the common conclusion that China will surpass the US– “When China Rules the World” by Martin Jacques is a perfect example. But beyond (and behind) these numbers exist other issues with which the cumbersome Chinese bureaucracy is tasked: working conditions, foreign investment, etc. In many cases, Prof. Mertha points out, only the quantifiable is accomplished; anything else that can be easily brushed aside or hidden is not prioritized.

Last summer, the NYT published a long piece on China’s investment in Ecuador. A running theme of the article was that in investing in Ecuador, China was “exporting its worst practices.” This amounted to poor working conditions and lack of concern for the environment, among other issues. Where China’s flaws are perhaps most evident are the foreign countries in which China involves itself– Prof Mertha’s research speaks directly to this point.