China's airline industry, despite persistent losses, is a surprising beneficiary of the "anti-evolution" strategy. The sector doesn't suffer from seat oversupply, and strong regulatory coordination, rather than capacity cuts, could drive a significant turnaround.
By coining the term 'low altitude economy,' China is signaling a deliberate, top-down industrial strategy to own the market for autonomous flying vehicles (EVTOLs) and delivery drones. This isn't just about a single company; it's about creating and regulating a new economic sector to establish a global manufacturing and operational lead.
Unlike the U.S. government's recent strategy of backing single "champions" like Intel, China's successful industrial policy in sectors like EVs involves funding numerous competing companies. This state-fostered domestic competition is a key driver of their rapid innovation and market dominance.
China's push for domestic consumption is creating a "tourism substitution" effect. Chinese travelers are increasingly opting for domestic destinations over international trips, driven by lower costs, enhanced safety, better local infrastructure, and a desire to avoid perceived discrimination abroad. This trend mirrors the country's broader industrial self-reliance strategy.
In an era of financial repression and heavy government intervention, the most effective investment strategy is to identify sectors receiving direct government support. By positioning capital near these "money spigots," investors can benefit from policies designed to manage the economy, regardless of traditional market fundamentals.
Overbooking isn't a flat algorithm. Business routes are overbooked more heavily due to flexible traveler schedules, while leisure routes with fixed plans (like a festival) are a huge risk to oversell, as almost everyone shows up. It's a lesson in understanding customer context to manage risk and revenue.
In response to deflation and eroding profits from hyper-competition, the Chinese government's "anti-evolution" policy is a deliberate strategy to force consolidation, reduce overcapacity, and restore pricing power, thereby boosting corporate return on equity.
China's economic structure, which funnels state-backed capital into sectors like EVs, inherently creates overinvestment and excess capacity. This distorted cost of capital leads to hyper-competitive industries, making it difficult for even successful companies to generate predictable, growing returns for shareholders.
China's campaign against "evolution" (excessive competition) is not a broad economic stimulus. It specifically benefits sectors like EV batteries, steel, and cement where state control or rapid market consolidation can restore pricing power and profitability.
The dramatic drop in China's Fixed Asset Investment isn't a sign of economic failure. Instead, it reflects a deliberate government-led "anti-involution" campaign to strip out industrial overcapacity. This painful but planned adjustment aims to create a more streamlined, profitable economy, fundamentally reordering its growth model away from sheer volume.
China is poised to become the next leader in biotechnology due to a combination of structural advantages. Their regulatory environment is moving faster, they have a deep talent pool, and they can conduct clinical trials at a greater speed and volume than the U.S., giving them a significant edge.