China's Economic and Trade Relations

China's Economic and Trade Relations

Thursday, 10 November 2011

Merit E. Janow, Professor of International Economic Law and International Affairs and Director of the of the Program in International Finance and Economic Policy at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), hosted a private, high-level roundtable conference on a broad range of issues related to China’s economic and trade relations at SIPA.  The purpose of the interdisciplinary conference was to bring together a group of leading academic experts, practitioners, policymakers and business executives to analyze and discuss certain key areas of both economic tension and potential economic opportunity between China and developed economies.  The conference content focused on four areas: trade, investment, capital markets, and technology/innovation.  These areas were selected because they can be expected to present opportunities for commercial collaboration and economic growth in the years ahead.  The event was held in a roundtable format to encourage discussion.  Each topic began with four presenters making short speeches, followed by questions and commentary from the group, and finally a few minutes were reserved for each set of speakers to respond.   At the outset of the conference, Professor Janow encouraged participants to be bold and creative.  These objectives were successfully achieved as the experts in the room unearthed a wide array of specific knowledge on U.S.-China economic relations and provided solution-oriented policy ideas from multiple perspectives.  The flow of the discussion across the theoretical and practical divide was a testament to both the diversity and experience of the participants.  A full summary report is available.

This conference was co-sponsored by the Center for International Business Education and Research, Weatherhead East Asian Institute and SIPA of Columbia University; CJEB and The Jerome A. Chazen Institute for International Studies of Columbia Business School; and the Columbia Law School as well as its Center for Chinese Legal Studies.