China and the World Financial Crisis

The discussion topic for our first meeting is "China and the World Financial Crisis."



ONLY JiaoTong University students may attend our first meeting. Please bring your student ID card. Because our first meeting will be held on the XuJiaHui campus, this is a necessary security measure. We are currently considering off-campus locations for future meetings, in which case those meetings would be open to those who are not JiaoTong students.

When: Tuesday, December 9th at 7:30pm
Where: Meet in front of Tao Li Yuan
(From there we will proceed to our meeting room, which has yet to be confirmed)
Again, ONLY JiaoTong University students may attend the first meeting.

Below are the three short articles that will inform this week's discussion, along with two background pieces. As you read, please post comments to this blog!

Readings:

1. "Reflating the Dragon," The Economist
2. "Dr Keynes's Chinese Patient," The Economist
3. "China Investment Corp. won't invest massively overseas till uncertainty clears," China View (Xinhua)
   

Background (optional):

1. "The Origins of the Financial Crisis (in the US)," The Brookings Institution
2. "The Perils of Incrementalism," The Economist

Potential Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of assertion in The Economist that the political signal of the state's readiness to bailout is more important than the economic content of the stimulus package itself?
2. What sectors and regions are likely to be most helped by China’s stimulus package?
3. Is the China Investment Corporation (CIC) being too cautious in planning to wait out the financial turmoil?
   
4. If the world’s recovery looks to be “L-shaped” rather than “V-shaped,” what form might China’s recovery take?
5. What are the lessons for China (and the world) moving forward?