Abstract

Politicizing Business provides readers with a nuanced view of the complicated relationship between the Chinese state and business, including private companies and state-owned enterprises. Using detailed case studies (the urban bus sector and waste management) she demonstrates convincingly how the authoritarian political economy leads to the politicization of business. Businesses are seen as providing career support to individual officials through visibility projects and providing systemic support aiding social control. State-business relations are driven by the incentive system under which local officials operate.

Bio

Ning Leng is an assistant professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. For the 2025-2026 academic year, she is a Wilson China Fellow at the Wilson Center. Her research examines how nondemocratic institutions create unintended consequences in state-business relations and development outcomes, including public service provision, infrastructure building, and environment policy making. Her area of focus is China.