Low chinese literacy in late modern period + general technological stagnation is partly explained by the much lower demands for human capital in bureaucratic vs commercial societies
How can you have an exam system as meritocratic/equity enhancing as China’s today without leading to the spiral of competitiveness? Apparently this was meritocratic to the point of no/little correlation between wealth and results even in the Ming??? A subsidy system, double anonymity also help.
5/6 post 76 ccp leaders were personally managed by Deng or Mao, Xi is the first to lack the direct connection to charisma, so he relies much more on formal titles than his predecessors.