Description

Views on China are diverging. Some see a property bubble, a looming debt crisis, protectionism, regulatory uncertainty, a divided elite and inability to reform. Others see a desirable deceleration in growth, potential for productivity gains, an economy following a normal Asian path rather than falling into crisis, and a broad policy consensus driving structural reform. Foreign direct investment from the US, EU, and Japan is declining. The Shanghai Stock Exchange outperformed all major indexes through most of 2014 but corrected sharply in December, with no apparent link to fundamentals. Chinese outbound direct investment is rising. This talk will offer the view that the transitions China are undergoing presents major challenges that paradoxically support the likelihood of successful economic reforms.

Christian Murck is currently Interim Executive Director of the Yale-China Association, a foundation engaged in educational, medical and cultural exchange programs between the U.S and China. In 1996-2001, Murck was the Managing Director and Senior Country Officer of The Chase Manhattan Bank in Beijing. From 2001 to March 2010, Chris served as Vice Chairman-Asia, Chief Executive Officer-Asia and Managing Director-China of APCO Worldwide. In that capacity, he advised clients on government relations, public affairs and corporate communication in China and the broader Asia Pacific region. Murck was nominated in 2003 to the Board of Directors of Bank of Shanghai by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank group, from which he resigned in 2008 to become independent director of J.P. Morgan Chase (China) Co. Ltd. From 2010-13, Murck was President, American Chamber of Commerce in China, known for its policy and advocacy work and for innovative public-private partnerships in aviation, clean energy, healthcare, agriculture and food, work safety, and export compliance. Murck received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and a PhD in East Asian Studies from Princeton University.