Panel Discussion: WTO Disagreements and Trade Imbalance: China as an Economic Partner or Competitor

Featured speakers:

*Nicholas Hope - Deputy Director, Center for -Research on Economic Development; China Country Director, World Bank (1994-1997)

*Michael Brownrigg - Partner, Chinavest; Foreign Service Officer (1985-1997); former Special Assistant to United States Trade Representative

*Ronald McKinnon - Professor, Department of Economics

Featured topics:

*The Pace of Economic Reform and Market Development in China

*The Revaluation of the Yuan

*WTO Cancun and Political Implications

In recent months, China and the United States have clashed on two major economic issues: the revaluation of the yuan and the openness of agricultural markets. The latter became a showdown between all the different member nations of the WTO when a routine ministerial meeting ended in collapse. Meanwhile, China has resisted pressure from Washington to float its exchange rate. Our panelists will explore both of these events, as well as put the Chinese economy ? the pace of its reforms and the development of its markets ? in perspective to better understand the economic relationship between these two countries.