The Funhouse Mirror of Chinese Statistics

Comparative statistics are a staple of analyses of the “race” with China, but there are many reasons to be careful when reading them. Many comparisons of the US and China that are derived from Chinese statistics are open to question.

First, China is engaged in a long-running influence campaign to persuade the world of its success. China’s surprisingly successful campaign (a tribute to persistence) means that China will tilt any statistics in its favor. This alone suggests a degree of caution is necessary.