CKGSB Professor of Economics Li Wei completed a full media tour of London to introduce his Business Conditions Index (BCI) to a European audience, before discussing the prospects for China’s economy and its impact on global businesses to a packed crowd at London’s iconic Ritz Hotel.

On Aug 11, Li Wei, Professor of Economics at CKGSB, was interviewed by Fortune Korea for an in-depth coverage on “specialized wholesale markets” in Zhejiang, China. Li Wei explained the reasons for these markets’ success, strengths and the challenges they will be facing in the rapidly changing Chinese business environment.

Li Wei, a professor of Economics at CKGSB, wrote a column on diagnosis and in-depth analysis of China and global economic recovery in ‘Insight’ section of Chosun Ilbo Weekly Biz on Mar. 18. In his column, Prof. Li forecasted that a robust growth rate for China will be above 6% in the next few years and biggest obstacles for economic growth would be corporate and household debt. He gave his opinion that additional spending on infrastructure and structural reform by Chinese government are needed for the solution of these crisis.

As China’s top leaders were concluding discussions that determine the nation’s economic and financial blueprint, Li Wei, professor of economics at CKGSB shared his view on the precariousness of China’s housing market during an interview with The Wall Street Journal. 

China is no longer resting on its ‘Made in China’ laurels. These days, China’s main economic driver is the ICT industry, including smartphone manufacturers and gaming firms, as well as the e-commerce and internet search market sectors. CKGSB Professor Li Wei said, “To highlight Chinese ICT companies’ common reasons for success, their customer-oriented businesses have correctly anticipated what a good portion of Chinese customers want and have strived to serve them. A significant percentage of Chinese customers are well-educated, but their income is not as high as their western counterparts. They want smartphones that have high-end specs, incorporate the latest designs and best implement software elements. Some of them have the technical skills to redesign or tinker with a phone's hardware and software. This has given rise to Xiaomi, whose business model is fundamentally different from global brands such as Samsung and Apple.”

On the heels of the global economic recession, China can no longer depend solely on its export market to sustain growth. Professor Li Wei, CKGSB professor, explains that China now needs to target domestic consumers. The Chinese government is also becoming increasingly aware of this phenomenon and plans to prioritize domestic market expansion. For Korean companies wishing to enter China, Professor Li advised them to target sectors where Korean companies are highly reputed for.

The BBC interviewed CKGSB Professor of Finance Li Wei regarding Alibaba’s importance and potential, as Jack Ma officially stepped down as CEO on May 10th.

On July 31, 2013, Dr. Li Wei, professor of economics at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB), received the prestigious “Best Professor in Economics” award by the World Education Congress, CMO Asia and CMO Council at the fourth annual Asia’s Best B-School Awards event in Singapore.

Commentary on the May 2022 CKGSB Business Conditions Index Professor Li Wei Following on from April’s dismal data, the CKGSB Business Conditions Index (BCI) fell from 40.8 to 37.34 this month, which is well below the confidence line of 50.0 (Figure 1). In the last two months, the BCI dropped by 14 percentage points. This indicates that our sample of successful business owners in China is more pessimistic than ever before, except for February 2020 when the overall index fell to 37.31. If June continues along the same lines, we will witness a record level of low confidence. Figure 1 […]

By Li Wei (Professor of Economics and Associate Dean, CKGSB) and Zhu Yunhai (Researcher, CKGSB)   Li Wei is Professor of Economics, Associate Dean for Asia and Europe, Director of Case Research Department and Director of Big Data Economic Research Department at CKGSB. Zhu Yunhai is a researcher at the CKGSB Case Centre. One of China’s most popular brands, NIO, has become a rising force in the electrical vehicle (EV) sector. In 2021, it delivered 91,429 vehicles, an increase of 109.1% from 2020. NIO has doubled its sales figures for two consecutive years, selling a total of 135,157 vehicles in […]

Smoke from the US-initiated tariff war has not yet settled, but the battle for global currency hegemony has quietly moved on. China’s currency, the renminbi, soared in value earlier this year, as the US blew hot and cold over trade. The RMB-dollar exchange rate hit a record high on May 5. Global capital players are increasingly seeking out the RMB as a safe haven for its “low volatility and high returns.” The resilience of the Chinese economy adds support to their case. Has China’s currency demonstrated sufficient weight to challenge the hegemony of the US dollar as the world’s anchor […]

The CKGSB Business Conditions Index (BCI) is a pioneering research project initiated by Dr. Li Wei, Professor of Economics at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB).

By Li Wei, Professor of Economics at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business   Recently, Chinese stocks listed overseas, known as ‘China Concepts Stock’, have been on a roller coaster ride. The stock prices of these companies have been falling since the beginning of 2021. Take the S&P China A50 Index, for example: it fell […]

By Li Wei, Professor of Economics at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business The First Wave of Globalization   According to the American economist Frederic Mishkin, the period from 1870 to 1914 was the first wave of globalization. At that time, global trade grew at an average annual rate of 4%, and its share of […]

By Li Wei, Professor of Economics at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing since February 24. When the conflict first broke out, a swift Russian victory was widely considered a foregone conclusion. However, the war has gone on for months with no peace deal in sight. While the West has not physically entered the war, it has sent weapons and other aids to Ukraine and has imposed massive economic sanctions on Russia, including but not limited to strict financial sanctions, which greatly threatened the Russian economy and brought unprecedented volatility to […]

The CKGSB Business Conditions Index shows that companies are expecting the Chinese economy to encounter some difficulties in the coming six months. In July 2015, the CKGSB Business Conditions Index (BCI) registered 51.5, a drop on June’s index of 55.6, and now only just above the confidence threshold of 50 (Figure 1). In May 2015, […]

On July 10, 2025, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) released the latest data on the country’s automobile production, sales and exports: In the first half of 2025, China produced 15.62 million vehicles and sold 15.65 million—up 12.5% and 11.4% year-on-year, respectively. Among them, new energy vehicle (NEV) production and sales totaled nearly 7 […]

An exciting panel of distinguished guests led by Professor of Economics Li Wei shared their thoughts on some of the most pressing issues currently facing China’s economy at an event at CKGSB’s Beijing campus.