Welcome to FutureChina Global Forum

A Glimpse into China’s New Phase

How China continues its integration and interaction with the global economy remains a subject of growing interest. Although China’s growth has receded amid global uncertainties, the transformation of China’s economic growth model through the development of its services sector and the internationalization of Chinese companies would continue to spell more opportunities for both Chinese and foreign companies alike.

Economic growth aside, China, will also have to grapple with social issues such as increasing tensions, populist frustrations generated by a widening wealth distribution gap and the lack of a comprehensive social security system. Indeed, having to address these wide-ranging imbalances all at once is a daunting task for China. 

In the next few years, China’s growth trajectory will depend on the policy orientations of its new leadership which was appointed last November at the 18th Congress of the Communist Party. Uncertainty breeds speculation, and the recent leadership change has inevitably given rise to questions about China’s future:

• How much do we know about the new leadership’s stance on key issues?

• Will the new leadership be able to address the root cause of social discontent in China?

• If the first official speeches of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have indicated an awareness of the challenges and priorities to be tackled, what will their margin of maneuver really be?

• To what extent will developments in the international scene influence China’s policy-making process?

The fourth edition of the FutureChina Global Forum is scheduled at a time when initial indications of the new leadership’s policy orientations would have emerged. A clearer assessment of China’s growth prospects as well as its corresponding impact on the international front can also be made.