The 33rd Chinese Economic Association (UK/Europe) Annual Conference

The Business School was honoured to host the 33rd Annual Academic Conference of the Chinese Economic Association (UK/Europe) from 1213 November 2022. The conference coincided with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ambassadorial relations between China and the UK and so the Chinese Economic Association (CEA) event received strong support from the Chinese Embassy in the UK. The CEA conference set up 19 parallel sessions, bringing together more than 140 experts, scholars and PhD students from many countries to participate and discuss the economic development of China and the world. The meeting elected Professor Karena Yan from the Business School to be the president of the CEA.

With the theme of ‘China’s Dual Circulation: Openness, Technology and Innovation Network’, this annual conference focused on China-EU and China-UK cooperation under the current complex economic situation, and sought to deepen the understanding of China's economy, and promote mutual benefit and win-win collaboration.

Key note speakers in attendance included: Yang Xiaoguang, Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, Baroness Manzilla Uddin, Member of the House of Lords, Professor Weiying Zhang, Economics National School of Development, Peking University, Professor Zhang Yunling, Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Professor Jianing Wei, Inspector of Department of Macroeconomic Research Development Research Center of the State Council, Professor Timothy Devinney, University of Manchester Business School, Professor Hinrich Voss, University of Bristol; with Durham University being represented by Professor Claire O'Malley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global) and Professor Kieran Fernandes, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Development & Business Engagement).

The CEA’s Journal of Chinese Economics and Business Studies used the occasion to present the Best Paper and Best Special Issue awards. Best Paper was awarded to Abdul Rasheed Zakari and Irfan Khan for ‘Promoting Economic Growth Through Energy in Africa: The Role of Chinese Investment and Institutional Quality’, while Best Special Issue was awarded to ‘The impact of Covid -19 and Post-pandemic recovery: China and the world economy’.

This annual conference focused on ChinaEU and China-UK cooperation under the current complex economic situation.

A blockchain summit forum was held during the conference, moderated by Baroness Manzila Uddin, member of the House of Lords, Professor Li Zhou, Deputy Director of the Network and Urban Systems Center (University of Greenwich Business School) and Director of the Blockchain and Supply Chain Research Group (University of Southampton Business School), Associate Professor Yu Gong, and his team members.

A PhD career development workshop was also held, chaired by Professor Yingqi Wei, Associate Dean of the Leeds University Business School, and Professor Chengang Wang, Birmingham University Business School.

CEA UK/Europe is the second largest Chinese economics association outside of China, only after the American Chinese Economics Association. It’s an independent not-for-profit research association. Composed of scholars, researchers, students and industry members who are concerned about China's economic development, it aims to raise public awareness through publishing research on China's economy.

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Professor Shaojia Liu, Director of Peking University HSBC Business School UK Campus shared his view on China-UK cooperation in innovation and economic development.