Abstract
Despite a dip in its growth rate in recent years, China remains one of the fastest growing economies in the world. This has been accompanied by a high level of political stability. China has also expanded its international influence, as evidenced by the number of countries that openly support the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy move. Entering 2019, however, China finds itself in a very challenging environment. In the economic sphere, China’s stalled economic reforms, debt problems and the US-China trade war are threatening economic growth. In the political sphere, Xi Jinping’s increased centralization of power, while having some benefit, also increases the risks and costs to the political system. In the foreign policy sphere, China’s more proactive foreign policy also faces significant backlash. Although talks of collapse are premature, if these challenges are not well managed, China could indeed fall into crisis. What factors contributed to these challenges? Can China deal with them? What are the prospects? The panel will address these questions.
