Open QuestionsEconomist Lan Xiaohuan on the balancing act needed to boost China’s consumption
The bestselling author also discusses how recent geopolitical events are shaping China and makes the case for a social safety net
Lan Xiaohuan is a professor of economics at China Europe International Business School. His book, How China Works: An Introduction to China’s State-led Economic Development, has sold millions of copies in China and has been translated into multiple languages.
Here, he discusses the economic realities behind China’s record trade surplus, the case for a stronger social safety net, and how public data infrastructure shapes the artificial intelligence race with the United States.
Since you wrote How China Works, the global and domestic environments have both evolved. What are the most critical shifts and developments for China? If you were to add a new chapter to the book to reflect these changes, what would be its central theme?