Tech & Society Debate: “Can Regulation Revive China’s Sagging Economy?”
Aspen Institute España, in collaboration with Fundación Telefónica, will hold the first session of the VIII Edition of the Tech & Society Program with Angela Zhang, Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong and Director of the Philip K. H. Wong Center for Chinese Law, next Tuesday, 11 June from 14.00h to 16.00h. The debate moderated by José M. de Areilza, Secretary General of Aspen Institute España, will bring together the Program participants from all sectors of civil society, such as the public sector, business, the media and academic institutions.
Can Regulation Revive China’s Sagging Economy?
China’s economy is at a crossroads, facing its most significant challenges in recent memory. Amidst this economic turmoil, a fierce debate has emerged among experts: Is the current economic downturn a result of ingrained structural issues, recent policy shifts, or escalating geopolitical tensions?
In this talk, Professor Angela Zhang will offer a fresh perspective, steering the conversation towards the impact of law on the Chinese economy. Drawing insights from her latest book, “High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy,” Professor Zhang will introduce the “Dynamic Pyramid Model” to demystify China’s regulatory governance. Through this lens, she will explain the consistent regulatory pattern in some of the biggest policy challenges China has faced in recent years, including tech regulation, the covid-19 pandemic control, the energy crisis in 2021, the ongoing property crack down and China’s demographic crisis. This discussion aims to shed light on the political logic underpinning China’s regulatory policies, while also identifying potential pathways toward economic revival.
Angela Zhang
Angela Zhang is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong and Director of the Philip K. H. Wong Center for Chinese Law. Widely recognized as a leading authority on China’s tech regulation, Angela has written extensively on this topic. She is the author of “Chinese Antitrust Exceptionalism: How the Rise of China Challenges Global Regulation” (Oxford, 2021), which was named one of the Best Political Economy Books of 2021 by ProMarket. Angela’s second book, “High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy,” was released by Oxford University Press in March 2024. In fall 2024, Angela will join the University of Southern California as a Professor of Law.
José M. de Areilza
José M. de Areilza is the Secretary General of Aspen Institute España and Professor and Jean Monnet Chair at ESADE Business School, Barcelona. He has been a Visiting Professor at INSEAD Business School (Fontainebleau) and London Business School. He holds a Doctorate degree from Harvard Law School and has published extensively on European Union Law and Politics and Geopolitics . Between 1996 and 2000 he was European Advisor at the Spanish Prime Minister’s Office. He writes a Sunday column in ABC, a national newspaper. He is Academy Adjunct Faculty at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House, London), Vice President of the US-Spain Council Foundation, Member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and Trustee of the Spanish Navy Museum, Ministry of Defence.
VIII Edition of the Tech & Society Program
Aspen Institute España and Fundación Telefónica launched the VIII Edition of the Tech & Society Program.
