BEIJING, Sept. 22 -- TRAVEL, whether for business, leisure or research is an important opportunity for learning.

But the real value of travel lies not simply in what we see, but in what we learn from it and how that knowledge changes our perspective, improves our decisions and strengthens our ability to act.

Recent discussions at a strategic conference on development in China offered precisely such an opportunity for reflection.

One message stood out: Chinas development story is increasingly moving beyond the traditional measures of infrastructure, manufacturing, technology and exports toward a less visible but potentially more important asset, human capability.

The central lesson is that the value of a modern economy depends not only...