Ma Liang

Professor, School of Public Administration and Policy; Research Fellow, National Academy for Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China

Ma Liang is a professor at the School of Public Administration and Policy and a research fellow at the National Academy for Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China (RUC). Before joining RUC, he was a research fellow (2012-2015) and senior research fellow (2015-2016) at the Nanyang Centre for Public Administration, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He received his BA, MS, and PhD in Management from Xi’an Jiaotong University in China. His research interests include organisational innovation, government performance management, and digital governance. His research has appeared in English and Chinese in journals such as "Public Management Review" and "Public Administration". He regularly contributes op-eds to Lianhe Zaobao and other outlets.

People walk in a public park under blue skies in Beijing on 16 March 2021. (Wang Zhao/AFP)
Society

When even blue skies are political in China

By Ma Liang 16 Mar 2021
Chinese academic Ma Liang says it may be more worth it for the Chinese government to focus on long-term improvement of China’s air quality, rather than spending money and effort on clearing its skies only when there are major events. The government seems to be hoisting in this rationale, judging by the naturally grey skies during the Two Sessions this year. Can blue skies every day be a reality for Beijing in the near future?