However, unlike most Western democracies, China does do “Long Term”.
I do wish people would stop repeating this meme - it’s like claiming the Egyptians do long term planning because of the Pharaohs or the Italians because of the Roman Empire.
What we now call China has had many empires/dynasties lead by different invading civilisations. Now of which are relevant to the present leadership.
The history of the last 70 years from the civil war, to Mao’s Great Leap Forward, to the Cultural Revolution, to the change to a capitalistic economic system, to a one child policy into a screeching brake-turn to a 3 child policy do not suggest a system looking towards the long term. If anything it suggests a hangover toward the old Soviet “5 Year Plan” system.
The same can be seen in the other plans such as the environmental disastrous planning including highlights such as Mao’s “Four Pests” campaign through to the Three Gorges dam and others. China is a water starved nation, always has been, and now they rapidly increasing their use of water in agriculture and industry. No long term planning there either.