This editorial #freeaccess provides an overview of the special issue commemorating 75 years of Public Administration and Development. It reflects on the journal's history, its role in connecting public administration with development studies, and its focus on topics such as SDGs.

The paper starts from a simple puzzle: Why has participatory budgeting (PB) managed to take root and persist in selected Chinese localities, despite the conventional wisdom that deliberative democratic practices thrive mainly in liberal political systems?

A caveat is in order. "The brain drain has not fully reversed. Many Chinese parents still see Western education as advanced and are eager to send their children abroad, said Alfred Wu" @LKYSch . https://t.co/rJlyt1986G

Quoted. “It could be because they had a lot of violations of regulations this year, so they need to emphasise this again. They also had a more intense anti-corruption campaign this year,” Wu @LKYSch said. https://t.co/ljk3rvEIp8 via @scmpnews

China agreed to resume large-scale soybean purchases from the U.S. Our research on Heilongjiang’s GMO ban reveals how provincial politics, local interests, and national strategy intersect to shape China’s agricultural choices.

Quoted. Alfred Wu @LKYSch "The main purpose of Asean is still making friends - this is the most important agenda for the summit," Wu said, adding that this year's host, Malaysia, had stronger ties with China and the US than some other members.

very revealing.

新加坡国立大学李光耀公共政策学院副教授吴木銮认为，中国反腐机构没有独立性，所以解决不了问题。新加坡、香港等能解决腐败问题的地方，基本都有独立机构，而中国反腐过程中还有很多操控，要抓谁、不抓谁都由上头说了算，由最高层决定。

The first paragraph: Nobel laureate Joel Mokyr strongly criticized the Trump administration’s higher education and research policies, calling them “perhaps the most self-destructive mistake since China’s Ming dynasty”—driven by irrelevant political motives.

Hong Kong Economic Journal: “The U.S. is repeating Ming China's mistakes — isolation and self-imposed economic closure lead to historical punishment美國重蹈明朝覆轍 海禁閉關歷史懲罰."

quoted. Prof Wu @LKYSch adding: “It also signalled clearly that Mr Liu Jianchao is not coming back to politics.”

A Strong Piece by @kmorit . Quoted. “He’s delegating,” Wu @LKYSch said. “It’s not a decentralization or structural change. He’s just asking people to do things on his behalf.” https://t.co/R135kRwVNG

Quoted. Alfred Wu @LKYSch . "People assume that the situation is getting better, that everything is moving in the right direction, that U.S.-China tensions will be eased to some extent but I'm thinking this is not the case, actually it's quietly escalating."

A hard reality! “The emphasis on internal stability and control has, in many ways, taken precedence over previous commitments to reform and openness,” said Wu @LKYSch , noting that overseas students are a key embodiment of China’s “opening door” policy. https://t.co/4gIB3iW0oj

Quoted. Wu of @LKYSch said: “Institutional and legal safeguards are essential for lasting anti-corruption [impact], but decisive action against individual officials remains an important part of enforcement.”

internationally, Wu says, the “main message” China wants to deliver is that “the U.S.-dominant world order is in bad shape” and Beijing is offering itself as an alternative model of global leadership that puts a focus on stability, national security, and economic development.

An exellent piece. @deguzmanchad @MirandaJeya 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲: Xi hosting Putin, Kim, and Iran’s president at Tiananmen—leaders whose very presence sends a message about solidarity against sanctions, isolation, and Western military alliances.

A thoughtful analysis — grateful to be cited: "Singapore-based analyst Alfred Wu characterised this year’s proceedings as an attempt by Xi to “showcase that he is very strong, that he is still powerful and well received in China”.

Meanwhile, Alfred Wu, associate professor at @LKYSch at the National University of Singapore, was quoted as as saying,“Xi Jinping is trying to showcase that he is very strong, that he is still powerful and well received in China."

Quoted: “Xi Jinping clearly wants to challenge the post-World War II global order dominated by the United States and show that China is a reliable and legitimate alternative,” said Alfred Wu @LKYSch . Explore this gift article from The New York Times.

Alfred Wu @LKYSch notes that the region’s continued appeal will depend on broader geopolitical and economic conditions. “Whether the boom can persist long-term depends on the global landscape,” he said. “If Sino-US relations ease, Southeast Asia’s current appeal could fade.”