A more sensible approach to infrastructure development in China

Associate Professor of Political Science John Donaldson co-authored a commentary on infrastructure development in China. The authors argued that the leaders and officials of the various Chinese provinces and municipalities should pay greater attention to infrastructure projects that would help boost the local economy and improve the lives of the people, rather than undertaking massive developments that are impractical and meant only for enhancing the image of the localities. They commented that priority should be determined by the urgency and importance of the social demand for a specific development. China's experience has shown that smaller infrastructure projects can serve public needs better than large-scale undertakings.