The China Paradox: At the Front Line of Economic Transformation

Dr Paul Clifford, Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, discusses his recent book, ‘The China Paradox’.
A very timely study of how, against all odds, the ruling Communist Party boldly led economic reforms as the surest way to preserve their grip on power. This flourishing of China’s hybrid developmental model, with a private sector, is placed in its historical context, shedding light on the legacies that thwarted earlier attempts at change and which today still threaten to undermine the progress made.
An analysis of recent growing friction with the world, fuelled by China’s human rights record coupled with a perception that its technology progress threatens US global dominance. Described as “an outstanding primer on how to evaluate and how to interact with an entirely new, unprecedented set of challenges and opportunities.”
About the Speakers:
Dr Paul G. Clifford is a historian, business strategist and Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. An Honorary Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association, he gained a PhD and MA from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London. A frequent speaker, he brings the authority of an eyewitness to history.
Dr Owen Kelly holds degrees in Chinese, Social Policy and Philosophy, all from the University of Edinburgh. He also holds a Diploma in Chinese Language from the University of Shandong. He lived in China for a year in the early 1980s, as an undergraduate student, and subsequently worked as an English teacher in Taiwan and as a translator from Chinese, in London. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Banker Institute and he joined the University of Edinburgh Business School in 2016, where he works as Director of Engagement and Internationalisation.
Dr Sarah Liu is a Senior Lecturer in Gender and Politics at the University of Edinburgh. She joined the subject area of Politics and International Relations in January 2019, having previously taught at Newcastle University, Smith College, and the Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on the cross-national comparison of gender and East Asian politics.