RUNDOWN

17:45 Registration 
18:00 Opening Remarks 
18:05 Fireside Chat 
18:35 Q&A 
18:55 Closing Remarks 
19:00 Networking Drinks

ASHK Members: HKD 150
Non-Member Ticket: HKD 200

 Asia Society Hong Kong Center is proud to present Tao Wang, head of Asia Economic Research at UBS Investment Bank and author of Making Sense of China’s Economy, for an important and timely discussion of the forces shaping China’s economy, in conversation with Helen Zhu, Managing Director and CIO of NF Trinity.

The eyes of the world are fixed on the state of China’s economy, with its significant implications for the health of the global economy. What is happening in China’s economy today, and why?  Are we witnessing the start of a long-term decline in growth or a short-term bump in the road? How should we interpret the barrage of gloomy economic data emerging from the Mainland? Join Asia Society Hong Kong Center as Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhu unpack these weighty questions and more.

Tao Wang is the author of Making Sense of China’s Economy and currently head of Asia Economic Research at UBS Investment Bank. She is an invited fellow of the China Finance (CF) 40 Forum and a member of the China Global Economic Governance 50 Forum.

Dr. Wang’s research on China covers a wide range of topics including monetary policy, the debt problem, shadow banking, local government finance, US-China trade disputes, supply chain shifts, RMB internationalization, the property bubble, the demographic challenge, the urban-rural divide, and the long-term growth potential. Dr. Wang has been consistently ranked as one of the top China economists by institutional investors. She writes a column for Caixin, and her views have been widely quoted by international and Chinese media.

Prior to joining UBS, Dr. Wang worked as Head of Asian Economics at BP plc.  Before joining the private sector, Dr. Wang worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for over eight years, including on the China desk. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from New York University and her bachelor’s degree from Renmin University in Beijing.

Helen Zhu oversees NF Trinity, the financial investment arm of Nan Fung Group, as its Managing Director & CIO, and is a member of the Finance & Investment Committee of the Nan Fung Group.

Before joining NF Trinity in 2019, Helen was Head of China Equities for BlackRock, managing China portfolios, overseeing research idea generation for China related investments, and developing the China equities business. Before joining BlackRock, Helen was Goldman Sachs’ Chief China Strategist. Prior to this, Helen was GS’s Business Unit leader for the Asia Telecom/Internet research team and Head of Asia telecom research at GS and ABN AMRO.

Helen previously worked in private investing for a corporation and in investment banking at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in Hong Kong and New York. She was educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and is an advisory board member of the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund program. In addition, she serves on the advisory boards of BlackRock Private Equity Partners and the IMF Pension Investment Co.; and is on the Board of Trustees of Milton Academy.  

About Making Sense of China’s Economy:

For years, China’s transformation from one of the world’s poorest nations was lauded as a triumph that lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. There were always questions about data reliability and growth sustainability, but the general views on China have recently taken a decidedly sour turn. Concerns abound about state interference in the economy, an ageing population, and high debt level. Making Sense of China's Economy untangles China’s complex economic structure, evolving issues and curious contradictions, and explains some key features of this most puzzling of global economic powerhouses.

This book reveals how factors such as demographics, the initial stage of development in 1978, the transition away from full state ownership and central planning, the dual urban-rural society, and a decentralised governance structure have combined to shape the economy, its development and its reforms. It shows how the pragmatic and adaptive nature of China’s policymaking upends familiar perspectives and hinders simple cross-country comparisons. The book also explores crucial topics including the property market, debt accumulation and environmental challenges.

In this book, Tao Wang innovatively weaves the multiple strands of China’s economy into a holistic and organic tapestry that gives us unique insights from both a Chinese and an international perspective.

This book is critical reading for business leaders, investors, policymakers, students, and anyone else hoping to understand China’s economy and its future evolution and impact, written by a specialist who has studied the country from both inside and out.

Buy a copy of Making Sense of China’s Economy from our store.

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The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and participants and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, do not reflect the opinion, position or official policy of Asia Society Hong Kong, its members, or its committees. Asia Society Hong Kong does not endorse or approve, and assumes no responsibility for the content of the information presented.