The Two Sessions, or Lianghui for its name in Chinese, are the annual gatherings of China’s two main political bodies, the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, where key issues relevant to China’s development pathway are discussed and plans for central policies are revealed. Please join Prof. Liu Jing from CKGSB to discuss the key takeaways from this year’s Two Sessions, the likely implications for the country’s growth outlook and business landscape, and what this reveals about where China is heading to in the next decade.
This year’s Two Sessions are especially important:
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Tom is Regional Director, Asia at The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). He is an expert on politics and economics in Asia, with specific interests in regional geopolitics, public policy and China’s political economy. Tom is a frequent commentator in the international media, talks regularly at conferences and events, and has published on a range of subjects in relation to Asia and China. His experience and deep knowledge help organisations and businesses make sense of the rapid changes in the region. As Regional Director, Tom leads a team of analysts based across the Asia. He is responsible for ensuring the EIU’s analysis and forecasts for countries in the region are as accurate and insightful as they can be for clients, and delivered in a timely and accessible way. Tom is based in Beijing, where he has lived and worked for the best part of a decade. He joined the EIU in 2011 and prior to his current role was Principal Economist, China. Tom holds an MPhil in International Relations and a BA in Modern History, both from the University of Oxford. His work experience outside the EIU includes a spell as a researcher in the UK Parliament, where he worked on the UK-China relationship, and roles with the China-Britain Business Council, Oxford Analytica and the Foreign Policy Centre. Tom also studied Chinese at Peking University and held a research fellowship at its Institute of International and Strategic Studies, funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
John Russell is the Managing Director China of Sandpiper-North Head, a strategic communications and public affairs consultancy, focusing on East and South Asia. He has 16 years’ experience in China advising multinational and domestic companies and governments.
Before North Head, he had a regional role across Asia at Weber Shandwick and prior to that was based in Europe as CEO of Weber Shandwick’s Brussels operations and head of public affairs across Europe. For almost 10 years he was executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union.
John started his career in the military, with postings in the UK, Germany, Singapore & Malaysia and the Middle East (Egypt & Israel), in addition to his native Australia.
Dr. Liu is Professor of Accounting and Finance, Chairman of the Faculty Executive Committee and Director of the Investment Research Center at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB). Prior to joining CKGSB, he was a tenured professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. He earned his Ph.D. from the Columbia Business School in 1999.
Academically, Dr. Liu is an internationally recognized expert on capital markets and investment analysis. A key feature of his research is a broad range and a tight connection between theory and practice. His research has been published in a number of leading international journals and has received wide recognition and citation. He is a recipient of the Outstanding Research Award from CKGSB, Eric E. Juline Research Award from the UCLA Anderson School, and the Barclays Global Investors (BGI) Best Paper Award from the Review of Accounting Studies.
From the angle of practice, Dr. Liu’s research and teaching revolves around the general topic of value investing. He directs CKGSB’s Center for Investment Research, where students and analysts study economic trends at the macro, industry and company level for investment implications. This effort received wide attention from the investment community and the media. Dr. Liu is regularly invited to speak at public forums, write opinion pieces, and give interviews to business news outlets.
At CKGSB, Dr. Liu has played multiple leadership roles. He is the Chairman of the Faculty Executive Committee, a democratically elected faculty governance body, former Chairman for the school’s alumni association and its development foundation. From 2014 to 2022, he oversaw CKGSB’s flagship Business Scholars Program as well as its highly acclaimed accelerator for start-up companies. From 2008 to 2015, he also guided the school’s finance, HR and IT functions.
Dr. Liu serves as a director on the boards of several large Chinese as well as international companies. He also consults widely on management and investment issues.
Dr. LAI Huaxia is Assistant Professor at Peking University School of International Studies. Trained in both international law and political science, she is well versed in the methods and theories of both law and politics and specializes in international economic law and international organizations. A frequent speaker at both international law and international relations conferences home and abroad, she is currently working on projects that examine the embeddedness of politics and law at international organizations. She has published on various topics including investor-state dispute settlement, renewable energy subsidies under international trade law, and applying quantitative methods to the study of international law. She received her PhD in international law and MA in political science from University of Washington, MA in international relations from Peking University, and BA in international relations from University of International Relations (summa cum laude).
Alfredo is responsible for overseeing The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network in Beijing. Based in China since 2013, he has focused on analysing the business implications of policy, economic and political developments for companies investing and operating in China, and in the broader Asian region. This with the aim of distilling complex issues and conveying clear takeaways on how to capture business opportunities and respond to emerging challenges.
Before joining The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network, Alfredo was Associate Director for KPMG’s Global China Practice, where he led and contributed to numerous thought leadership projects, including flagship reports, customised business briefings, and policy proposals for Chinese authorities. He also played a large role in events programming and outreach, including leading the design and coordination of high-profile events aimed at senior executives. Prior to that, Alfredo worked for J Capital Research, Eurasia Group and the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Alfredo has a Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) from Georgetown University, and a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Mexico’s Center of Research and Teaching in Economics (aka. CIDE).
