Trade Conflicts and China's Role in the International Financial System

Join us for a conversation with Johns Hopkins SAIS Foreign Policy Institute (FPI) Senior Fellow John Lipsky. The discussion will be moderated by Michael Sutherland, editor-in-chief of the SAIS Review.

Following a period of rapid growth following the Global Financial Crisis, China’s economy is facing a series of challenges. The immediate post-crisis period has been characterized by exceptionally rapid growth in all forms of credit, while productivity growth has slowed. Attempts to slow credit expansion while instituting financial sector and other reforms has been associated with a notable deceleration in output growth, motivating a new round of stimulus. At the same time, the anticipated internationalization of the Chinese currency and financial markets has slowed, and by some measures has been reversed. In the context of heightened tensions surrounding China’s trade negotiations, new measures have been adopted to again promote financial sector development, and their implementation will have an important influence on China’s future economic prospects.

John Lipsky is a Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins SAIS, as well as serving as the Peterson Distinguished Scholar at Johns Hopkins SAIS’ Kissinger Center for Global Affairs. Before joining the school, he served as First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund from 2006-2011. Previously, he was Vice Chairman of JPMorgan Investment Bank, Chief Economist of JPMorgan Chase, Chief Economist and Director of Research of Chase Manhattan Bank, and Chief Economist of Salomon Brothers.