Navigating China: The World's Second Lar

The course will introduce to the students a series of frameworks for understanding the working of the Chinese economy. China is on course to become the world’s largest economy in terms of GDP, but it remains an enigma for global investors and firms. It presents both ignore-at-your-peril opportunities given its high growth rates and large market size, and at the same time enormous challenges in terms of risk management given its domestic complexities and evolving geopolitics. While the country of focus is China, we will discuss a set of topics on the interactions among business, government, and society that are essential in all emerging market economies, including industrial policy, trade policy, digital economy, and financial liberalization. A key feature of the course is that it will be data-driven and fact-driven. The aim is to separate fundamental factors from noises.  Some of the sessions will feature guest speakers. By the end of the course, you will gain a new perspective on the Chinese economy, and recognize many flaws in conventional wisdoms, media labels, and official pronouncements. The new knowledge will give you a set of tools to navigate China and the global economy.