2022 saw the PRC’s first negative population growth since 1961, but 2023 marked an even steeper decline, with newborns falling by 540,000 to the lowest level since 1949. Exacerbating the decline is the attendant gender imbalance—31 million more men than women, as of January 2024.
Doctrinal ‘innovation’ is raging across the PRC and its ruling Party like a virus. But it is easy to confuse appearance with essence, mistaking long-ossified mantrasfor genuine moving parts.
Retaining a firm grip over historical narratives is a first-order task for the CPC. While economic growth has fostered social cohesion up to a point, it generates rising expectations—to say nothing of corruption, inequity, and social dislocation—requiring yet tighter control of the narrative.
Why was ChatGPT not developed in the PRC? This strikes at the core of Beijing’s scitech self-confidence and weighs heavily on the PRC tech community. Deeming AI-generated content (AIGC) a ‘future industry,' Beijing aspires to lead this new wave of innovation.