China analyst Dan Wang discusses resilience and societal challenges in new interview

FRANCE 24’s current edition of *Perspective* features an interview between host Stuart Norval and Dan Wang, a scholar of contemporary China whose recent work, *Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future*, has reached the New York Times bestseller list. The conversation centers on the book’s exploration of everyday life in China, drawing on Wang’s decade of residence in the country and his observations of its rapid technological and infrastructural development.

Wang argues that, despite geopolitical tensions, the United States and China share a cultural affinity for “hustling” and a willingness to employ shortcuts in pursuit of progress. He suggests this common mindset underlies many of the competitive dynamics between the two nations, offering a nuanced perspective on how similar social attitudes can shape divergent policy approaches. The interview underscores the book’s broader aim to illuminate the human dimensions behind China’s ambitious engineering projects and to foster a more balanced understanding of the nation’s trajectory.