28th Annual Conference of the Chinese Economics Society Australia (CESA)

In Search of New Sources of Growth: What China Should Do Next?

The Chinese Economics Society Australia (CESA) in conjunction with the College of Business Law and Governance, and the Cairns Institute at James Cook University will jointly organise the CESA's 28th Annual Conference in Cairns, Australia, 17 -19 July 2016.

In the past three decades, remarkable achievements have been made in China’s development, with economic growth averaged at 9% per annum. Rapid economic growth benefits ordinary Chinese, as can be observed that more and more Chinese travel overseas, for sight-seeing, shopping and even hunting for real estate assets. Coupled with these remarkable achievements are a number of challenges that are exerting an increasingly significant constraint on China’s road ahead, such as environmental pollutions, income inequality, and regional disparities. For example the widely spread smog in China’s major cities is likely to affect people’s health in a negative way. The recent policy shocks, namely the “Olympic Blue” and “APEC Blue”, appear to suggest a cost of 50% economic activities to immediately address this issue.

Faced with such increasingly binding constraints, Chinese economy appears to settle in a lower growth trajectory, a status of so-called “new normal” (新常态). In response, policy makers are searching for new sources of growth, internally through institutional reforms such as the experimentation of free trade zones and externally through a number of initiatives such as the One Belt and One Road initiative and the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Nevertheless, it is not clear how effective these measures will be and to what extent the constraints will affect Chinese economy. Hence, it is very opportune and most appropriate to hold an international conference to review, evaluate and outlook China’s economy into future. Accordingly the conference carries with the title: “In Search of New Sources of Growth: What China Should Do Next?”

Registration is open now

Key note speakers