In our fourth conversation of this series, stars Switzerland Alumni Chapter President Markus HERRMANN, Managing Director at China Macro Group (CMG), will be talking to ZHA Daojiong, Professor of International Political Economy at Peking University’s School of International Studies. China today is the largest energy consumer on the globe, the largest producer and consumer of coal and the largest emitter of carbon dioxide. In recent years, Beijing has intensified the shift towards non-fossil fuels and invested large sums into renewable energy, turning the country into a global leader in hydroelectric, wind and solar energy. But how does Beijing plan to move forward after last year’s coal and electricity supply shortage? How will the current economic slowdown impact China’s energy structure? Does a renewed focus on supply security and coal under the 14th Five-Year Plan endanger the “dual carbon” emission goals for 2030 and 2060 and thus the energy transition? And what impact does the war in Ukraine have on prices and Beijing’s energy policy?

Kindly note: All webinars of this series are held under Chatham House Rules and will not be recorded.

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About the speaker:
Prof. Dr. ZHA is Professor in the School of International Studies and Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, Peking University. His areas of expertise include international political economy and China’s international economic relations (particularly the fields of energy and natural resources), development aid, public health, and the economics-political nexus in the Asia-Pacific region. He is a regular participant in Track II dialogues between China and the United States on issues ranging from trade and investment to public health. He also contributes opinion pieces in newspapers including the South China Morning Post. He studied at the University of Hawaii and the East West Center, where he earned a Doctorate in Political Science.