Jennifer Lind

China is now a top-10 global innovator and spends over $500bn a year on R&D. So much for “autocracies can’t innovate.” How did we get this so wrong? Autocracy 2.0.

Fascinating to see the different directions people took with this question.

@Ali_Wyne @EmmaMAshford @endeavoringE @jasmineelgamal @EroComfort @ka_grieco @jekavanagh @patricia_m_kim @NancyGEO @jessicacweiss Very thoughtful of you!🙏

In honor of #IWD2026, I’ve listed below some of the voices who’ve been helping me make sense of the chaotic beginning to this year: @EmmaMAshford @endeavoringE @jasmineelgamal @EroComfort @ka_grieco @jekavanagh @patricia_m_kim @profLind @NancyGEO @jessicacweiss

Disappointed and saddened by DOD decision to end decades of mutually beneficial collaboration between our nation's military officers & our civilian universities and think tanks. A loss for both communities with negative long-term implications for national security and civil-military relations.

Oops wrong tag -- Lizzi and Jing are at @AsiaPolicy --I'm very grateful to their CCA for hosting me yesterday for a book talk for Autocracy 2.0!

How does the CCP balance the need for control and the need for a competitive, innovative economy? Terrific piece by @ASPI_org's @wstv_lizzi and Jing Qian on how Beijing manages China's private sector foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas-p…

👀 don’t miss

“Conventional wisdom has long held that China would never become a technological powerhouse,” writes @profLind. But the Chinese Communist Party has found ways to “foster innovation without loosening its hold on power.” foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas-s…

“The United States cannot simply expect that China and its authoritarian regime will follow the Soviets into history’s dustbin,” writes @profLind. fam.ag/4rCYELJ

Two decades ago, observers in the advanced liberal democracies said China could never catch up: the technological gulf was too vast and China's authoritarian institutions would obstruct innovation. How did we get here? My essay in @ForeignAffairs foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas-s…

Impressive election victory for Japan's PM Sanae Takaichi. If you're sick of Western headlines about the far-right, extremist, hawkish, right-wing ultraconservative PM and the fights she's picking with China, I repost this for you: blueblaze.substack.com/p/a-hawk-in-ea…

Thanks, @EdwardGLuce for recommending @JyShapiro's recent "Thinker" column in Blue Blaze ft.com/content/b2adbe… This was Thinker VII - for Jeremy's prevous musings check out our archive at blueblaze.substack.com

I talked with Justin Hendrix of Tech Policy Press about the "China can't innovate" conventional wisdom, the King's Dilemma, and "smart authoritarianism" techpolicy.press/unpacking-the-…

Davos 2026

In @ForeignPolicy today, @BonnieGlaser and I explain why a military operation against Taiwan could be costly for China. In short, failure is an option. (1/3) foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/19/chi…

Thanks for the shout to my book, @abrownepek and @semafor semafor.com/article/01/19/…

Jeremy's Thinking again... Don't miss @JyShapiro's latest Blue Blaze open.substack.com/pub/blueblaze/…

Fun book talk this week at Dartmouth—thanks to wonderful moderator @abrownepek, and hosts @welbornecon, @DartmouthDickey Davidson Institute, and the Political Economy Project thedartmouth.com/article/2026/0…

Say what you want but I am genuinely impressed. Love the messaging, love the choice to choose the binding of pop culture, and love that they are doing that whilst being considered of the challenges of today. I would love the story of how this moment came to be. Priceless.

I spoke with @TheWorld's Matthew Bell about the 🇯🇵🇰🇷 summit today: remarkable for the leaders' willingness to engage productively on historical issues. Give a listen: theworld.org/segments/2026/…

When your summit is so productive you call it a day and just start jamming 🥁🇰🇷🇯🇵

"History stands in the way" of closer Japan, ROK ties. Until leaders decide it shouldn't. See my argument in @ForeignAffairs (2015!) foreignaffairs.com/articles/east-…

a productive, friendly 🇯🇵🇰🇷meeting today between Lee and Takaichi in Nara. The leaders discussed supply chain security (rare earths), transnational crime, historical memory (Chosei mine disaster of 1942). Day 2 tomorrow.