September 28, 2026 · Washington Examiner
Beijing Promises a Market It Cannot Deliver
China can direct state purchases and production; it cannot command households to feel secure enough to spend.
Read the piece →Politics · Institutions · Security
I analyze the political forces, institutions, and human choices that shape nations, economies, and people.
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Washington ExaminerReutersFinancial TimesSouth China Morning Post
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Commentary & analysis
Latest Writing
September 17, 2026 · Washington Examiner
America’s real AI threat isn’t defeat by China — it’s becoming Beijing
The AI race is also a test of which political system can preserve the openness and bottom-up experimentation required for genuine 0-to-1 innovation.
Read the piece →· Jane Li
Mengniu and Dongpeng Dropped Mbappé Over a Mao Meme. They All Should Have Seen It Coming.
Kylian Mbappé’s controversy has cost Chinese brands their celebrity partnerships. After years of similar mistakes, why are global companies still failing to protect themselves against predictable political risks?
Read the commentary →About
An analyst who knows these systems from the inside.
Fifteen years of operating within complex political and economic environments, not just observing them.
Get in touchJane Li is an independent political analyst, writer, and advisor. Her work looks past policy statements to the institutions, incentives, and human decisions that shape political, economic, and security outcomes.
For over 15 years, she built and ran businesses in China, securing regulatory approvals, managing cross-border supply chains, and growing a retail network to roughly 100 stores across 13 provinces. That experience taught her the gap between policy as written and what happens on the ground.
China remains a core area of expertise, but her writing ranges widely: US politics, foreign policy, national security, and the contest between open and closed systems. She has been quoted by Reuters, the Financial Times, and the South China Morning Post, and writes for the Washington Examiner.
Advisory
Independent perspective for decisions with political risk.
Jane advises investors and international companies on how politics and institutions shape commercial outcomes.
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Political & policy analysisHow political and institutional decisions are made, implemented, and felt by markets.
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Strategic intelligence & due diligenceIndependent assessment of partners, counterparties, and political exposure.
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Market & competitive intelligenceOn-the-ground insight into regulation, distribution, and consumer behavior.
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Government & stakeholder relationsNavigating regulators, officials, and partners in complex political environments.
Consulted by
Morgan StanleyGoldman SachsFonterraKantar FuturesColeman
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For media interviews, commentary, speaking, and advisory inquiries on US politics and foreign policy, national security, US–China competition, and how policy reaches markets.
jane@janeliadvisory.comFollow Jane on Substack
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