Speaker: Heng Wang, Professor, Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University
Moderator: Mark Wu, Henry Stimson Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Director, Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies

China’s practices, such as those under the extra-regional Belt and Road Initiative, are selectively reshaping international economic order. More recently, China’s role in the international economic governance has been evolving rapidly, affected by a range of new dynamics, ranging from central bank digital currency to artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, external factors — such as the policy measures of the new Trump administration — will both influence and be influenced by China’s engagement with the international economic system.

Notably, the shifting landscape features increasing and likely unprecedented complexities. It spans technological, regulatory, geoeconomic and other dimensions, including environmental implications of digitalization such as energy, water, raw materials demands, and the challenge of e-waste. Both the “hardware” (e.g. new infrastructure) and “software” (e.g. emerging standards and institutions, agreements, practices) would develop, reshaping key aspects of the transnational economic system. China’s unique approach to international economic governance will carry long-term implications. The talk will explore how China is affecting the international economic order in the new context of the digital age and a multipolar world —and what this means for the future.

Heng Wang is a Professor at Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. Previously, he was a professor at UNSW Sydney. Heng is a recipient of major grants and awards, including being named Australia’s research field leader in international law by The Australian newspaper. His work has often been cited in intergovernmental organisation documents. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s AI Governance Alliance, Future of Blockchain and Digital Assets Initiative, and Technology, Innovation and Systemic Risk Initiative. He has advised or been a (keynote) speaker at events organised by esteemed institutions, including the Asian Development Bank, APEC, Bundesbank, CPMI/BIS, HCCH, ICC, ICSID, IMF, INTERPOL, MAS, UNDP, UNCITRAL, the World Bank, the WTO, and the private sector. His research evolves to explore the future of international economic governance, including that of the international financial system, and solutions to risks.