Beijing, June 24, 2025 — Amidst continued global uncertainties and geopolitical shifts, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) convened thought leaders, senior executives, economists, and diplomats at its 9th Economic Symposium.
Beijing, June 24, 2025 — Amidst continued global uncertainties and geopolitical shifts, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) convened thought leaders, senior executives, economists, and diplomats at its 9th Economic Symposium. The flagship event, held on June 18 at CKGSB’s Beijing campus, focused on the pivotal themes of domestic consumption and the role of the private sector in reigniting China’s economic momentum.
With support from the British Chamber of Commerce in China, the Canada China Business Council, and SwissCham China, this closed-door symposium provided a high-level platform to analyze China’s evolving economic landscape, policy direction, and strategic implications for both domestic and global businesses.
In his opening keynote, Li Haitao, Dean of CKGSB, Dean’s Distinguished Chair Professor of Finance and Director of the Family Business Research Center, reflected on macroeconomic uncertainties, ongoing geopolitical realignments, and how businesses should adapt strategically in an evolving economic landscape. He also emphasized the importance of long-term thinking and innovation in unlocking China’s growth potential, particularly in the face of structural headwinds and external challenges.
The first session, themed “Where is the Future of Consumption in China Heading?”, featured a high-profile one-on-one dialogue between Li Wei, CKGSB Associate Dean and Professor of Economics and Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times. In this virtual fireside chat, the two economists discussed the state and future of China’s economy, tackling issues such as real estate, investment trends, domestic consumption, and the international monetary system. Their exchange provided global and domestic perspectives on the country’s evolving economic model.
Following the dialogue, Professor Li Wei delivered a keynote presentation titled “Innovation in China’s Consumer Sector”. Drawing from CKGSB’s long-standing Business Conditions Index (BCI)—a proprietary monthly survey tracking sentiment among China’s private business leaders since 2011—he offered data-driven insights on shifts in consumer behavior, confidence levels, and emerging areas of innovation.
The event continued with a panel discussion moderated by Lucille Liu, Reporter of Bloomberg News’s Beijing bureau, featuring Louise Liu, Founder and CEO of Wusawa Advisory; Chris Torrens, Managing Director of Greater China at APCO; and Wang Guangyu, Founder and Chairman of China Soft Capital and CKGSB DBA and CEO Alumnus. The panel explored actionable strategies for boosting domestic demand and restructuring consumption in a post-pandemic, policy-tightened environment.
The symposium’s second half, which centered around “The Importance of the Private Sector in China’s Economic Growth”, began with a keynote by Professor Zhou Chunsheng, Associate Dean and Professor of Finance at CKGSB. Professor Zhou emphasized the indispensable role of private enterprises in sustaining growth, driving innovation, and fostering resilience in times of economic transition.
A lively panel followed, moderated by Professor Zhou and joined by Crystal Han, VP of Sales and Marketing at IQAir China; Wang Naichen, President of Chinnovates and CKGSB EMBA alumnus; and CKGSB Professor of Economics Colin Lixin Xu. The discussion addressed policy shifts affecting private enterprises, best practices in surviving the increasingly more competitive landscape, the evolving financing scene, and the strategic levers that can be pulled to energize this vital sector.
This year’s symposium drew participation from senior representatives of the embassies of Singapore, Norway, Canada, South Korea, and Switzerland, as well as executives and thought leaders from Sinovac, Roche, UBS, JD.com, BMW, Meituan, World Bank, Hyundai, SGS, Haleon, and CICC, reflecting the symposium’s growing global impact.
As CKGSB’s annual flagship platform for macroeconomic dialogue, the Economic Symposium continues to bridge global perspectives and local realities. The event reaffirmed CKGSB’s commitment to advancing informed, forward-looking dialogue among key stakeholders shaping the future of China’s economy.
