The Quest for Global Economic Leadership: a conversation on the United States and China

In each crisis the world faces – whether the war in Ukraine or COVID-19, the rise of sanctions or surging energy prices – we find ourselves asking what this means for the US, for China, and for the future of global leadership. Are US-led economic efforts to halt Russia’s invasion a testament to Washington’s enduring leadership, or might the weaponisation of the international financial system put pressure on the US-led economic order? Are shortages of key commodities and industrial inputs making China’s role in the global economy ever-more important, or might they be forcing the US, Europe, and the rest of the world to invest in domestic alternatives and rearrange their economies accordingly? At this pressing juncture, do Washington and Beijing have the will and capacity to lead?

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This webinar was held on Thursday 7 April 2022.

Meet the speakers and chair

Fred Bergsten is the founding director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics He was assistant secretary for international affairs of the US Treasury (1977–81), functioned as undersecretary for monetary affairs (1980–81, including as G-5 deputy and G-7 sherpa) and was assistant for international economic affairs to Dr. Henry Kissinger at the National Security Council (1969–71). He is the author of The US vs China: The Quest for Global Economic Leadership.

Keyu Jin is Associate Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is a leading expert on China’s economy, international finance and trade, and international macroeconomics.

Lutfey Siddiqi is a Visiting Professor in Practice at LSE IDEAS and a co-investigator at LSE Inclusion Initiative (TII). He is a member of the advisory boards of LSE Systemic Risk Centre, LSE IDEAS and TII. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the National University of Singapore (Risk Management Institute) and advisory board member of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS) at NUS business school. He was previously Global Head of Emerging Markets for Foreign Exchange, Rates & Credit at UBS Investment Bank where he was also the founding head of UBS Knowledge Network. Prior to that, he was a Managing Director at Barclays Bank in charge of a business-line across Asia Pacific.