3rd Quarter China Economic Outlook 2024

Areas of Expertise: Corruption, Financial Markets, Macroeconomics, Managerial Incentives and Market Competition, Real Estate, Reform, Taxation, Telecommunications Privatization, Valuation in Emerging Markets

Dr. Li is a Professor of Economics, Associate Dean for Asia and Oceania, Director of the Case Center, and Director of the Big Data Economic Research Center at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB). Before joining CKGSB, Dr. Li was a Professor of Business Administration (with tenure) at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, where he has served on the faculty since 2000. Since 2005, Dr. Li has also served as visiting Professor of Economics on the faculty of Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. Before joining the Darden faculty, Dr. Li was an assistant professor and then associate professor of business administration at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business from 1994 to 2000. He was also a visiting professor of strategy at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management in 2004. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan and his B.Eng. from Shanghai Jiaotong University (China).

An authority on the Chinese economy and business, Dr. Li’s main research focus is on economic development, taxation, financial markets, corruption, corporate governance, corporate research and development, entrepreneurship, trade and investment in China. His work has been published in prominent academic journals and books, and some of his research results have also been featured in Foreign Affairs, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and on CNNfn (CNN Money) and Bloomberg TV. Professor Li has extensive consulting experience with multinational firms, Chinese firms, and the World Bank.

Dr. Li has taught Macroeconomics, Global Economies and Markets, Managerial Economics, and Emerging Markets Finance in MBA, Finance MBA, EMBA, and Global EMBA, and Executive Education programs.

Edward White is an award winning journalist, originally from New Zealand and has been reporting in Asia since 2015.  

At the FT he has been China correspondent since late 2021, mostly remotely before obtaining a visa last year and moving to Shanghai in November 2023.  Before that he was Seoul bureau chief, covering North Korea and South Korea 2019-2021, and Taiwan correspondent and breaking news reporter 2017-2019. 

Prior to joining the FT he mostly covered energy and resources in New Zealand and Australia but has also reported on human rights and development issues for other publications, including reporting from Taiwan, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar. 

In China, he mostly covers the country’s clean-technology industries, as well as foreign policy, elite politics and human rights. 

Chris Torrens, APCO’s managing director of the Greater China region, is a veteran risk and compliance expert with more than three decades of experience providing strategic advice for multinational clients across various sectors.

Before joining APCO, Chris worked at Control Risks for more than 20 years. He served as a partner in the Greater China and North Asia region where he led the East China geomarket out of Shanghai before moving to Beijing to lead the North China geomarket. During this time, he oversaw the growth and diversification of the company’s Chinese client base. Before this role, Chris was based in London as the partner responsible for the Global Risk Analysis practice for Europe, Middle East and Africa, managing all political, security and operational risk analysis for the region.

Chris also served as a Shanghai-based associate director in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ advisory practice and as the Hong Kong-based head of research at Batey Burn, a UK government relations and public affairs consultancy, which was acquired by APCO in 1999.

Chris has lived in Greater China for nearly 25 years. He holds an MBA from the China-Europe International Business School, a BA Honours degree in Modern Chinese Studies from Leeds University and speaks Mandarin. His book, “Doing Business in China,” was published by The Economist in 2010.

Chris currently serves as vice-chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in China.

Lauren heads up the strategy team at WPP’s media agency Mindshare where she serves the Luxury conglomerate group LVMH and its various Maisons. She has been on the pulse of consumer insights and brand strategy for the past 7 years in China, during which she has guided various clients and brands through shifting economic conditions and consumption patterns.

Mr. Allen Meng is the Executive Vice President at BEA Bank (China), in charge of Financial Markets and Treasury business. He has more than 20 years of experience in financial markets across the commercial banking and securities industries. Prior to the current role, he was the Deputy General Manager of DBS Securities (China) Co., Ltd. Before that, he has worked in Mizuho Corporate Bank Singapore, OCBC Bank and its subsidiary in China, Natixis Bank Shanghai Branch and DBS Bank (China). He is specialized in Treasury, assets & liabilities management, investment and trading functions.

Mr. Meng holds a Bachelor degree from Notational University of Singapore, and a Master degree from Singapore Management University.

孟庆先生现任亚银行（中国）有限公司执行副总裁，负责金融市场业务和司库管理。在加入东亚银行之前，孟先生曾担任星展证券（中国）有限公司副总经理。孟庆先生在金融行业工作愈20年，业务经历涵盖新加坡、中国香港、中国大陆和韩国市场，擅长领域包括资产负债管理以及同业市场投资和交易。

孟先生毕业于新加坡国立大学，拥有信息技术学士学位，并获得新加坡管理大学应用金融学硕士学位。