Irish economist explains why China's governance model works

Irish economist and podcaster David McWilliams has offered an explanation for why China's governance model works, arguing that its success is rooted in a long-standing emphasis on internal stability rather than external expansion.

In an earlier podcast, McWilliams said that China has historically prioritized domestic cohesion over projecting power abroad, and that this governing logic "is not going to change."

In his view, China's success is neither accidental nor the result of short-term policy decisions, but rather stems from a deeply embedded system of governance that has prioritized cohesion, order and long-term planning for centuries.

McWilliams argued that China's approach to statecraft differs fundamentally from that of Western powers. "Statecraft in China has been, for the last 2,000 years, looking internally," he said, contrasting it with Europe's tradition of external expansion and conquest.

For China, the primary goal of governance has always been internal stability, rather than projecting power abroad. This governing logic, McWilliams noted, is rooted in history. "China has been a unitary state for over 2,000 years." He described this continuity as a rare achievement in global history, particularly for a country with "extraordinary geographical, cultural and demographic diversity."

A defining feature of this system, McWilliams said, is standardization. He highlighted China's early adoption of a unified written script, a centralized bureaucracy and a nationwide examination system as tools that enabled effective governance across regions and cultures.

According to McWilliams, this inward-focused governance model explains why China has historically avoided large-scale overseas expansion. Rather than conquering others, China concentrated on "turning an empire into a nation," consolidating internally while steadily enhancing its economic capacity.

Even today, he argued, China's engagement with the outside world is shaped by this priority. "All their deals are done through the lens of making the place safe for China," with internal stability remaining the ultimate benchmark.

This perspective helps frame China's current economic performance. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday, China's gross domestic product reached 140.19 trillion yuan ($20.12 trillion) in 2025, surpassing the 140-trillion-yuan mark for the first time and growing by 5.0 percent year on year at constant prices. While the figures are recent, McWilliams' earlier assessment suggests that such outcomes reflect a deeper governance logic rather than a single-year result.

For McWilliams, China's long-term focus on internal consolidation has produced a model that many outsiders struggle to interpret. "They're not playing the same game," he said, stressing that China's emphasis on stability, governance capacity and economic strength has made it "unbelievably almost unstoppable as a major global force."

(Cover: An aerial drone photo taken on January 1, 2026 shows Rizhao Port in operation in east China's Shandong Province. /VCG)