Deep Dive

James Estes ’25 researched the Chinese economy, and the Harvard Business Review published his findings.

BY IAN ALDRICH

In the early morning hours of Aug. 26, James Estes ’25 awoke to find that nearly nine months of hard work had paid off. On the homepage of the Harvard Business Review (HBR) website was the article, “The 4 Key Strengths of China’s Economy — and What They Mean for Multinational Companies,” he had coauthored with Mitch Presnick, a visiting fellow of practice at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University.

“It was pretty cool,” Estes says. “People were already sharing the article and commenting on it — just seeing all the reactions and the reach it was getting from HBR readers was something.”

Last November, Estes, who spent his early years in Beijing, wrote an essay on Chinese-American relations for the Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition. It didn’t place, but it did catch the attention of Presnick, whose business career had anchored him in China for more than three decades. Having focused his fellowship study on the opportunities and challenges around China’s ties to other developed nations, Presnick needed a research assistant; in Estes, he found a young, ambitious thinker who could help him.

“Being half-Chinese and half-white, I feel like I have a unique perspective into two pretty contrasting cultures,” Estes says. “It really hit home watching the downward spiral of U.S.-China geopolitics these last years. It was especially interesting to dig into the U.S. trade war and understand the history behind the politics with China. I wanted to write something that I thought could help people understand the situation. That’s what led me to write the contest paper and then to my work with [Presnick].”

At the center of their work was an effort to offer a balanced view of U.S.-China trade relations.

“I think one of the only bipartisan things you see in Washington is the China bashing,” Estes says. “We wanted to present things in a new light and give a more well-rounded picture of the situation. That’s why, I think, HBR liked our work so much.”

The two began collaborating last February. Presnick would assign Estes a topic to explore — how research and development firms profit in China, for example — and ask him to deliver an analysis of his findings. Estes pored over company reports and filings, read an array of news stories and interviewed company heads, including the director of Cummins’ Asia division, for their perspectives on the current trade climate.

“It was pretty amazing to be the one asking the questions,” Estes says. “To speak to these people and find out from them what they’re seeing was valuable. I can’t believe how much I learned about the complexity and depth of the situation.”

He’s not alone. In the months since the article was published, the piece has been read by thousands of readers and the authors have done interviews with American and Chinese news outlets. In November, Estes and Presnick discussed their article at an event at the Fairbank Center.

For Estes, the piece has proved pivotal. Last year, the research work helped anchor a Fifth Form research project and it now represents a crucial leg in his senior year project. Then there are the less quantifiable ambitions. Just as he hopes his HBR article has helped readers re-examine how U.S.-China trade relations are discussed, he also hopes his findings make a difference in how his SPS community thinks about the greater world.

Effecting change at SPS has been an Estes tradition: Family members across generations have worked at the School, beginning with Estes’ great-great-great grandfather, who helped construct many of the campus’ first buildings.

Over the ensuing years, the Estes family has remained connected to Concord and SPS. Estes’ grandfather grew up playing hockey on the ponds and working around the grounds. His stories of those years later enthralled his young grandson and, in fall 2021, Estes became the first member of the family to enroll.

During his time at SPS, Estes has embraced School life. He captains the varsity tennis team and plays squash; for the last two years, he’s volunteered as a youth mentor and been a student leader in the Living in Community Program. As a sophomore, he won the National Chinese Speech competition, and he’s developed a deep love for philosophy.

The kind of variedness that he’s found at SPS, says Estes, has helped prepare and excite him for what comes next. He says he hopes to study Chinese and philosophy in college. Maybe he’ll follow a path into the business world. Or, possibly, foreign policy.

“Whatever I end up doing for a career,” he says, “I want to have an effect on U.S.-China relations and help all of us see the world a little differently.”