The middle income trap is an economic development situation, where a country which attains a certain income (due to given advantages) will get stuck at that level.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China is pleased to invite you to join the breakfast seminar with Bart van Ark, the Conference Board Chief Economist, to discuss a key issue of China’s growth: Will China Really Face a Middle Income Trap?

Having avoided an immediate hard landing, but at the same time having failed to regain the growth steam of recent years, has China’s long awaited growth slowdown already set in? Growth projections point at slowing growth which, in case it evolves gradually, might be the most desirable and manageable path of adjustment. But the timing and speed of adjustment remains uncertain. Some studies have identified the risk of a so-called “middle income trap”, as several economic and policy-related barriers inhibit the transition of an export and investment driven growth model to a consumer and services-based economy.

What does the latest analysis tell about China’s growth trajectory in the short and medium term? And what do business experience on the ground? During this seminar, Bart van Ark will share the latest insights from the global and China Center research on these topics, as well as report on the China results from the 2013 CEO Challenge Survey.

Agenda: 
08:00 – 08:30 Registration and Breakfast

08:30 – 08:35 Opening Remarks by European Chamber

08:35 – 09:15 Presentation " Will China Really Face a Middle Income Trap?"
Bart van Ark, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at The Conference Board

09:15 – 10:00 Q&A Session

10:00 End of the Event

Speaker:

Bart van Ark is Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at The Conference Board, a global research organization with its head office in New York City in the United States. He is also a professor in Economic Development, Technological Change and Growth at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands). He is a former director and current member of the Groningen Growth and Development Centre (http://www.ggdc.net), a research group working on long term economic growth and productivity.

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