AND

I would like to thank my mother, who has shared conversations with me about China‘s political future and the biochemistry field‘s problematic bidding process. I would like to thank my father, who convinced me the importance of understanding economics in understanding China today. I would like to thank my reader Professor Minxin Pei. This thesis would not have been as grounded or analytical without his incisive comments. His eloquent lectures in Comparative Government and Chinese Politics courses informed my academic interest in this topic. I would like to thank Mr. Evan Osnos for shedding light on China‘s corruption during my summer internship researching for him. Without his warm encouragement and resources, my research on the high speed railway industry would not have been as thorough. I would also like to acknowledge journalists working in China who take many risks to document malpractice and expose patronage of powerful institutions, specifically reporters writing for Caixin and Caijing magazines. My thesis would not have been written without the excellent materials and investigative angles provided in their pieces. Their valiant efforts continue to inspire me to research on China‘s political economy