China’s New Era: Reversing the Dire Consequences of Forty Years of Reform

Join us for a discussion on the Chinese economy with Professor YAO Yang, Dean of the National School of Development at Peking University, hosted by Professor Mark Wu and the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies.  Forty years of reform and opening up have resulted in rapid growth and rising living standards for many Chinese, but also left a series of dire consequences. Dean Yao explains how the economic agenda of President Xi Jinping is intended to address and reverse some of these consequences.  While these measures may suppress the economy and trigger a near-term slowdown, Dean Yao asserts that the Chinese government hope is that if such measures succeed, the Chinese economy will emerge healthier, more equitable, and more innovative.  Following the talk, William Overholt, Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, will offer discussant comments.