Cooptation: The Backseat Driver of Competitive Communism

Candace Warner analyzes the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) strategy of cooptation in fostering economic growth while maintaining political control. Using the Chinese automotive industry as a case study, the paper explores how the CCP's support for private entrepreneurs and strategic partnerships has promoted rapid growth but also perpetuated inefficiencies and corruption. Warner argues that this approach, while beneficial in the short term, may undermine China's long-term economic sustainability​