Two Sessions 2026: Navigating China’s New Development Blueprint in 2026

Phone: +86 10 8518 8858 ext. 3235
E-mail: wli@ckgsb.edu.cn

Professor of Economics, Associate Dean for Asia and Oceania, Director of Case Center and Director of Big Data Economic Research Center, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB)

PhD, University of Michigan

Areas of Expertise: Corruption, Financial Markets, Macroeconomics, Managerial Incentives and Market Competition, Real Estate, Reform, Taxation, Telecommunications Privatization, Valuation in Emerging Markets

Dr. Li is Professor of Economics, Associate Dean for Asia and Oceania, Director of Case Center, and Director of Big Data Economic Research Center at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB). Before joining CKGSB, Dr. Li was Professor of Business Administration (with tenure) at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, where he has served on the faculty since 2000. Since 2005, Dr. Li has also served as visiting Professor of Economics on the faculty of Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. Before joining Darden faculty, Dr. Li was assistant professor and then associate professor of business administration at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business from 1994 to 2000. He was also a visiting professor of strategy at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management in 2004. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan and his B.Eng. from Shanghai Jiaotong University (China).

An authority on Chinese economy and business, Dr. Li’s main research focus is on economic development, taxation, financial markets, corruption, corporate governance, corporate research and development, entrepreneurship, trade and investment in China. His work has been published in prominent academic journals and books, and some of his research results have also been featured in Foreign Affairs, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and on CNNfn (CNN Money) and Bloomberg TV. Professor Li has extensive consulting experience with multinational firms, Chinese firms, and the World Bank.

Dr. Li has taught Macroeconomics, Global Economies and Markets, Managerial Economics, and Emerging Markets Finance in MBA, Finance MBA, EMBA, and Global EMBA, and Executive Education programs.

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Mr. Cao Yang is the vice president of Baker Hughes Company and the president of Baker Hughes China. Based on the global energy development’s focus on China, he was entrusted by the Baker Hughes global CEO to integrate the strategic development of China with targeted promotion of key measures as the main responsibility, by strengthening close cooperation with the internal product company headquarters, Asia-Pacific headquarters and business sections, so as to promote the deepening of substantive cooperation with Chinese oil and gas companies.

Mr. Cao Yang has accumulated rich management experience in the energy industry for more than 20 years. it involves strategic development, core business management, technology development in the oil and gas industry, and promotion of common development with oil and gas companies and partners.

Prior to this position, Mr. Cao Yang served as senior vice president and global sales CEO of Hanergy Group; From 2008 to 2018, he served as general manager of GE oil and gas midstream and downstream technology development and service business; head of GE hydropower business; and GE new energy related business development Director and other core business positions related to GE Energy.

Mr. Cao Yang with a university degree in process control and automation, joined the industry as an installation and test engineer, and developed into a project manager, sales manager, and gradually became a manager of different business sectors. He is a member of GE’s ECLP(Experienced Commercial Leadership Program).

Amy Niu serves as the Vice Chair of the Energy Working Group, European Chamber, and the Vice President of Iraeta Energy Equipment, a prominent Spanish multinational company in global renewable energy sector. Focusing on Global Strategy and Asian Marketing, Amy leverages over a decade of experience across China, Spain, and North America.

Her significant contributions to 8 national industry standards highlight her deep technical expertise. She served a multitude of onshore, offshore and floating wind power projects with including Goldwind, Envision, SGRE, Vestas, GE and so on, and also played a pivotal role in the acquisition of Reducel. She provides her wind power expertise as an advisor for the Spain and China Council Foundation, fostering industry knowledge exchange.

Her multicultural upbringing, born in China and educated in Canada, bolsters her role in bridging cooperation between Chinese enterprises and the government. Her distinctive international perspective and depth of experience make Amy a driving force in the renewable energy industry.

Ms. Ira Zaka heads Global Marketing and Communications at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB). Established in November 2002, CKGSB is China’s first faculty-governed and independent business school. Today, CKGSB has more than 40+ full-time professors, many of whom held tenured positions at leading business schools like Wharton and Yale, and over 20,000 alumni, more than half of whom are at the CEO or Chairman level and, collectively, lead one fifth of China’s most valuable brands.

Since 2010, Ira has enhanced CKGSB’s brand by organizing global business forums, overseeing public relations and social media, and managing partnerships worldwide. She has also enabled CKGSB’s growth in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

A graduate of Princeton University, Ira has spent over 30 years in China, where she has studied and worked for companies like Amazon and Hogan Lovells, primarily managing public relations and communications efforts.

Ira is fluent in Albanian, Chinese and English.

With 12 years of experience in the pharmaceutical sector, William Chen has spent half of his career with multinational companies specializing in Public Affairs and Policy, and the other half with a publicly listed biotech firm, serving as Corporate Secretary and Vice President of Investor Relations.

He brings deep expertise in government affairs, policy shaping, business development, and strategic partnerships, with a strong track record in advancing market access, managing investor communications, and driving cross-border collaborations. His background bridges both global innovation environments and China’s dynamic biotech landscape, enabling him to translate policy and business insights into actionable growth strategies.

Key strengths include:
• Government & Public Affairs Strategy
• Policy Advocacy & Stakeholder Engagement
• Corporate Governance & Capital Market Communication
• Business Development, Licensing & Deal Execution

Dieter Verstreken is the VP of China Strategy at Melexis, bringing over two decades of deep industry expertise to the intersection of semiconductor innovation and global technology trends. Throughout his distinguished 20-year career at Melexis—spanning leadership roles in Global Marketing, Product Management, and Position Sensors—Dieter has been a driving force behind the sensing and actuation solutions that now serve as the “nervous system” for modern robotics and autonomous vehicles.

Currently based in Shanghai as an expatriate, Dieter is spearheading Melexis’ strategic efforts to ensure the company remains a dominant and successful player in the rapidly accelerating Chinese semiconductor landscape. By bridging European engineering with the world’s most dynamic R&D hub for AI and robotics, he ensures that Melexis technology continues to define the standards for safety and precision. Beyond his corporate role, Dieter serves on the Board of Directors for the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, where he fosters international collaboration and technological exchange.