China's Transition at a Turning Point: Crises, Challenges, and Opportunities

IMGXYZ330IMGZYXAlmost one year after the 16th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, and six months after China's new leaders assumed power, the Middle Kingdom continues to forge through a myriad of challenges. Though China's relations with the United States, and most other countries in the world, remain on solid ground, its leadership must grapple with some short-term problems, such as a problematic North Korea, and frictions with the U.S. regarding China's currency. Long-term issues of inequality, environmental degradation, weakening governance and a tenuous banking situation, to name a few, will also force the Communist Party to implement creative solutions.

This conference tapped into the thinking of leading China scholars to assess the challenges and opportunities which China will face in the coming years. Fareed Zakaria, Editor of Newsweek International, delivered the luncheon keynote, "Is China Ready to be a Great Power."

Introduction and China's Domestic Political Scene
Welcome and Introduction:
Dr. George Perkovich, Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

China's Domestic Political Scene
Session Chair: Dr. Michael Swaine, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Professor David M. Lampton,, Johns Hopkins University
China's New Elite Politics: The impact of leadership change
Ms. Susan V. Lawrence, the Far Eastern Economic Review
Crony Capitalism, Chinese-Style: The emerging coalition of power and money
Dr. Minxin Pei, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Deteriorating Local Governance: Is it a cause for worry?

Is China Running Large Social Deficits?
Session Chair: Professor Kenneth Lieberthal, University of Michigan
Dr. Elizabeth Economy, Council on Foreign Relations
China's Environmental Crisis
Mr. John Pomfret, The Washington Post
      A Messy Picture: Civil Society in Today's China
Professor Deborah Davis, Yale University
      Inequality in China: Is it getting worse?

Luncheon Keynote
Dr. Fareed Zakaria, Editor, Newsweek International
Is China Ready to be a Great Power?

Can China Sustain Its Economic Momentum?
Session Chair: Dr. Minxin Pei, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Dr. Nicholas Lardy, Institute for International Economics
The Economic Rise of China: Threat or Opportunity for the United States
Professor Thomas Rawski, University of Pittsburgh
What Are the Weak Links in China's Dynamic Economy?
Dr. Adam Segal, Council on Foreign Relations
Globalization and China's Emerging Technological Trajectory

Does China Have a More Confident Foreign Policy? and Concluding Remarks
Does China Have a More Confident Foreign Policy?
Session Chair: Elizabeth Economy, Council on Foreign Relations
Dr. Michael D. Swaine, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
China's Security Policy in Asia
Professor Thomas Christensen, Princeton University:
China's Foreign Policy Adjustment: Positive Trends and Potential Pitfalls
Professor Kenneth Lieberthal, University of Michigan

Concluding Remarks
Dr. Elizabeth Economy, Council on Foreign Relations
Dr. Minxin Pei, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace