The 7th YCW-King’s College London China Conference
China: Navigating a “De-risking” World
Saturday, April 6, 2024
• Doors open: 9:45am / Conference start time: 10am (London)
• Conference venue: Edmond J. Safra Lecture Hall, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS
• RSVP required: RSVP here
• ID required for entry: Please bring photographic ID as this will be checked by KCL security.
The YCW London team is very pleased to begin the Year of the Dragon with its seventh annual China conference. This year’s conference theme highlights the continued emergence of domestic pressures, economic security and national security as the prevailing forces that shape recent interactions between China and the West. Despite some collaboration on global problems, it is difficult to recall a more uncertain and complex time as China, Europe and the US all pursue “de-risking” strategies.
At YCW, we’re mindful of the current overarching mood – but are also curious about how moods can change depending on the lens you take. For this reason, this year’s conference includes panels comparing global, bilateral and local developments, whilst exploring them through political, economic and societal perspectives. Priority issues that our conference will cover include supply chains, cultural exchanges, public opinion and EU foreign policy. Attendees will have the chance to network and mingle with the next generation of China thinkers, watchers and actors.
The conference will also launch the results of 4th YCW Pulse Report, which provides a snapshot of the opinions held by members of the YCW community.
• 09:45-10:00: Doors open
• 10:00-10:15: Welcome, with Kerry Brown (KCL)
• 10:20-11:00: Keynote – UK-China Perspectives, with Evie Aspinall (BFPG)
• 11:00-11:50: Diplomacy Panel 1: Middle East & China
• 11:50-12:40: Diplomacy Panel 2: Europe & China
• 12:40-13:40: Lunch/networking
• 13:40-14:30: Report Launch: Results of the annual YCW China Pulse Survey
• 14:30-15:20: Panel: Global Economic Risks
• 15:20-15:50: Coffee break
• 15:50-16:40: Fireside chat: Human Stories, with Xinran
• 16:40-18:30: Speaker Networking & Drinks Reception
Welcome & Opening Keynote:
• Evie Aspinall (Director, British Foreign Policy Group)
• Prof Kerry Brown (Director, Lau China Institute)
Diplomacy Panel 1: Middle East-China: Beijing’s diplomatic approach to the region
• Richard Spencer (China Correspondent and fmr Middle East Correspondent, The Times)
• Dr Anahita Motazed Rad (Visiting Senior Research Fellow, LSE)
Diplomacy Panel 2: Europe-China: Discussing de-risking
• Yu Jie (Senior China Fellow, Chatham House)
• Francesca Ghiretti (Adjunct Fellow, Center for Strategic & International Studies)
YCW Pulse Survey Launch:
• Laura Bonsaver, Emily Hemmings & Clement Ngu
Panel: The Global Economy: De-risking and de-globalising?
• Bernice Lee OBE (Hoffmann Distinguished Fellow for Sustainability, Chatham House)
• Katie Lee (Senior Adviser – China, Public Affairs, HSBC)
• David Henig (Director, UK Trade Policy Project, European Centre for Int’l Political Economy)
Fireside Chat: Human stories and building cross-cultural relationships
• Xinran (Award-winning Author and Founder, Mothers’ Bridge of Love)
Cover image credit: Vanvelthem Cédric under CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
Names (top-bottom) correspond to speaker portraits (left-right).