Over the last decades, China’s rise as a global economic superpower has challenged the traditional dominance of the US and EU. In particular, the Belt and Road Initiative has expanded Beijing’s influence in the Global South by investing heavily in infrastructure projects in many regions. But with increasing signs of an economic downturn in China, will the ‘Chinese moment’ last? Will it go the same way as Japan — decades of stagnation following its meteoric economic rise — or should we be thinking in terms of a temporary setback, with the best yet to come? What sorts of economic and trade policies have the EU and US adopted in response to China’s rise, and how might these policies adapt in the coming years, particularly if the Chinese economy stumbles? In addition, what types of developments might radically alter our current assumptions about the future trajectory of economic relations among these three global players?

Speakers

• Dr. Mary E. Lovely, Anthony M. Solomon Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
• Dr. Jan Knoerich, Political Economy and Institutions Senior Lecturer, Lau China Institute
• Dr. Françoise Nicolas, Senior Advisor, Center for Asian Studies, Institut Français des Relations Internationals (IFRI)

Chair: Cèlia Cernadas, International affairs reporter. Former correspondent Washington DC, Catalunya Ràdio

Questions & Answers

Closing  Remarks