On 1 October 1949, a war-weary and largely agrarian nation announced the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Seventy-seven years later, that same nation is the world’s second-largest economy, its largest manufacturer and its largest trader in goods. As China marks its National Day, the anniversary is worth celebrating. For Pakistan, it is also worth studying.

The China of 1949 faced deep poverty, weak industry and little infrastructure. The turning point came in the late 1970s, when reform and opening-up brought in market mechanisms, investment and trade. Shenzhen, once a modest settlement, became a testing ground for new ideas and grew into one of the world’s leading technology and manufacturing hubs. The method was simple but powerful. Experiment, learn, and then scale what works.

The country once called the factory of the world now competes in artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicles, batteries and renewable energy.

The country once called the factory of the world now competes in artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicles, batteries and renewable energy.

Over the following decades, that approach spread across manufacturing, infrastructure, education and research. Millions of workers moved from farms to factories. Cities grew, supply chains deepened, and ports, highways and airports tied production centres to markets at home and abroad. China built the world’s largest high-speed rail network, now stretching beyond 45,000 kilometres, and the World Bank credits it with most of the........

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