Made In China Journal
“The importance of ‘the new three’ (新三样) strategic sectors—EVs, lithium-ion batteries, and solar panels—is rooted in an emerging centralised policy and decision-making regime that involves a new generation within the CCP leadership, comprising scientists and engineers turned technocratic leaders. These politico-engineers include new vice-premiers Zhang Guoqing, once a chief executive of a weapons supplier, and Liu Guozhong, who trained as an ordnance engineer. Nuclear engineer Li Ganjie now oversees senior party appointments as the head of the Organisation Department of the CCP. There is also the aerospace technology expert Ma Xingrui, appointed CCP Secretary of the turbulent Xinjiang region, and rocket scientist and former deputy general manager of China Aerospace and Technology Corporation Yuan Jiajun, who serves as Secretary of the CCP Chongqing (Yu 2023). Xi also promoted Jin Zhuanglong, aerospace engineer and businessman turned politician, to critical positions as CCP Group Secretary and Minister for Industry and Information Technology (Ding and Tang 2024).”
Engineering China’s Militarised Neoliberalism: Class, State, and Technology