The sudden cancellation of the Premier’s press conference, the passing of revisions to the Organic Law of the State Council, the focus on unleashing of ‘new productive forces’, Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s remarks on key conflicts and current relations between great powers, renewed commitments to boost consumption, discussions between indebted provinces and banks, the pledge to increase military spending by more than seven per cent… These are only some of the highlights of the recently concluded meetings of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – also known as ‘Two Sessions’.
To make sense of this host of announcements and what they mean for China’s economic, foreign policy and political trajectory, Neil Thomas, Fellow on Chinese Politics at Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, and Dan Wang, Chief Economist at Hang Seng Bank, will join our upcoming Policy Meeting, which will take place on Tuesday 19th March from 9:00-10:30 at the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing. The meeting will be off-the-record and held under Chatham House rules.
Agenda
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8:30-9:00
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Registration and networking
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9:00-9:10
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Opening Remarks
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9:10-10:00
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Presentations by Dan Wang (on-site) and Neil Thomas (online)
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10:00-10:30
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Discussion and Q&A
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About the speakers
Dan Wang
Dan Wang is the chief economist at Hang Seng Bank China, based in Shanghai. Dan holds a PhD in economics from the University of Washington, with a focus in macroeconomics, environmental economics and econometrics. Dan did her post-doctorate studies with the Chinese Academy of Sciences in agriculture and holds a BE in International Economics and BA in law from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Before joining Hang Seng Bank, Dan was an analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Neil Thomas
Neil Thomas is a Fellow on Chinese Politics at Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, where he studies elite politics, political economy, and foreign policy. Previously, he was a Senior Analyst for China and Northeast Asia at Eurasia Group, the world’s leading political risk advisory and consulting firm, a Senior Research Associate at MacroPolo, the in-house think tank of the Paulson Institute, and a lecturer at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy. He has testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission and his writing appears in publications including The China Story, ChinaFile, Foreign Policy, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Lowy Interpreter, The Washington Post, and The Wire China. He is regularly quoted by major media outlets such as Bloomberg, CNN, Financial Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He holds a Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia, and certificates from Renmin University, Tsinghua University, and Zhejiang University.
Meeting Registration and Cancellation
This is a closed meeting open to consortium partners’ management and relevant stakeholders of EU SME Centre Phase IV including European embassies, consulates, EU-funded projects and secretariat/board members from European chambers or business associations only. If you meet the criteria and would like to attend, please send your information to Ms Hanqi Gao before Monday, 18th March noon. You will receive a confirmation email and later the full address.
About the EU SME Centre
The EU SME Centre is a European Union initiative that provides a comprehensive range of hands-on support services to European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), getting them ready to do business in China. Currently in Phase IV of the project, the EU SME Centre is implemented by four consortium partners and two associated partners – the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC), the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Italy China Council Foundation (ICCF), Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (SPI), Trade Promotion Europe (TPE), and the EU-China Business Association (EUCBA), bringing an unprecedented mix of relevant and complementary expertise and network to the EU SME Centre, with headquarters in Europe and in China.