UNA Warwick and District: China's rise as an economic power

Guest Speaker: Dr Hong Bo
BA Economics (Lanzhou) MSc Economics (LSE) PhD Economics (Groningen)
Reader in Financial Economics
School of Finance & Management
Associate Dean, Faculty of Law & Social Sciences
School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

China is calmly mapping out global leadership aspirations from trade to climate change, drawing distinctions between President Xi Jinping's steady hand and new U.S. President Donald Trump, whose early few weeks have been marked by media feuds, fake news conspiracy, and turmoil in the White House. Just days ahead of Trump taking office, a self-assured Xi was in Switzerland as the keynote speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, offering a vigorous defence of globalization and signaling Beijing's desire to play a bigger role on the world stage.

"If anyone were to say China is playing a leadership role in the world I would say it's not China rushing to the front but rather the front runners have stepped back leaving the place to China," said Zhang Jun, director general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's international economics department.

Dr Hong Bo has kindly agreed to address the UN Association in Leamington Spa on China's economic and political rise as a major power on the world stage. Hong Bo will cover: (1) background knowledge about how China has reached the current stage of development both economically and socially; (2) new domestic challenges China faces under the new norm; and (3) external (international) factors that may affect China's further economic growth.

Q&A will cover current international issues related to China, President Donald Trump, Brexit, etc.

Please do come along and bring a friend.