Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The Fragile Foundations of China’s rise –Part 2 The Q&A Battle of Ideas Festival
#chinaeconomy
#chinapolitics
#globaleconomy
#xijinping
China is full of contradictions: while some analysts point to declining momentum, others still describe it as the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, with GDP growth around 5.3 per cent. Once admired for rapid urbanisation, infrastructure expansion and dramatic poverty reduction, China now faces a collapsing housing sector, expanding surveillance, soaring personal debt, a shrinking job market, an ageing population and rising public discontent. With millions of restaurants closing, youth unemployment at one in five, labour strikes and widening urban–rural divides, questions grow over whether this is still “China’s century” and whether President Xi is strengthening his grip or becoming increasingly embattled. This session uses insider analysis of China’s construction, economy, technology and employment landscape to assess its changing circumstances and their implications for internal stability, featuring Kerry Brown, Professor Hugo de Burgh and Dr Linda Yueh and chair Austin Williams.
The speakers on the panel are:
Kerry Brown director, Lau China Institute, King’s College; author, The Great Reversal: Britain, China and the 400 Contest for Power; professor of Chinese Studies
Professor Hugo de Burgh director, China UK creative industries; recent chair professor of Media, Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University; author, WHO ARE WE, and how will we survive in the Age of Asia (2024) and China’s Media in the Emerging World Order (2021)
Dr Linda Yueh fellow in economics, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford; adjunct professor of economics, London Business School; associate fellow, Chatham House
The Chair is: Austin Williams director, Future Cities Project; honorary research fellow, XJTLU, Suzhou, China; author, China’s Urban Revolution
WORLDwrite volunteers filmed over 50 sessions at the festival. To edit, sound clean and prepare these videos for the Academy & WORLDwrite channels, takes at least 2 days each. With no paid staff the charity needs your help to keep its edit suites switched on. Please chip in if you can to help us keep going by visiting the charity's JustGiving page at justgiving.com/charity/worldwrite Or hit the Donate button below the video. Thank you for watching and for your support.
WORLDwrite is a volunteer-run citizen TV channel that stands up for free speech – no ifs or buts. We film hard-hitting political debates, including panels from the Battle of Ideas festival, tackling taboo topics and defending ordinary people against contempt and censorship. We train hundreds of young adults every year to shoot the arguments that matter, producing fearless films on politics, democracy, freedom, and global equality. This is Citizen TV that punches above its weight. Subscribe for unapologetic documentaries, debate and dissent.
The Fragile Foundations of China’s rise –Part 2 The Q&A Battle of Ideas Festival
#chinaeconomy
#chinapolitics
#globaleconomy
#xijinping
China is full of contradictions: while some analysts point to declining momentum, others still describe it as the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, with GDP growth around 5.3 per cent. Once admired for rapid urbanisation, infrastructure expansion and dramatic poverty reduction, China now faces a collapsing housing sector, expanding surveillance, soaring personal debt, a shrinking job market, an ageing population and rising public discontent. With millions of restaurants closing, youth unemployment at one in five, labour strikes and widening urban–rural divides, questions grow over whether this is still “China’s century” and whether President Xi is strengthening his grip or becoming increasingly embattled. This session uses insider analysis of China’s construction, economy, technology and employment landscape to assess its changing circumstances and their implications for internal stability, featuring Kerry Brown, Professor Hugo de Burgh and Dr Linda Yueh and chair Austin Williams.
The speakers on the panel are:
Kerry Brown director, Lau China Institute, King’s College; author, The Great Reversal: Britain, China and the 400 Contest for Power; professor of Chinese Studies
Professor Hugo de Burgh director, China UK creative industries; recent chair professor of Media, Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University; author, WHO ARE WE, and how will we survive in the Age of Asia (2024) and China’s Media in the Emerging World Order (2021)
Dr Linda Yueh fellow in economics, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford; adjunct professor of economics, London Business School; associate fellow, Chatham House
The Chair is: Austin Williams director, Future Cities Project; honorary research fellow, XJTLU, Suzhou, China; author, China’s Urban Revolution
WORLDwrite volunteers filmed over 50 sessions at the festival. To edit, sound clean and prepare these videos for the Academy & WORLDwrite channels, takes at least 2 days each. With no paid staff the charity needs your help to keep its edit suites switched on. Please chip in if you can to help us keep going by visiting the charity's JustGiving page at justgiving.com/charity/worldwrite Or hit the Donate button below the video. Thank you for watching and for your support.
WORLDwrite is a volunteer-run citizen TV channel that stands up for free speech – no ifs or buts. We film hard-hitting political debates, including panels from the Battle of Ideas festival, tackling taboo topics and defending ordinary people against contempt and censorship. We train hundreds of young adults every year to shoot the arguments that matter, producing fearless films on politics, democracy, freedom, and global equality. This is Citizen TV that punches above its weight. Subscribe for unapologetic documentaries, debate and dissent.
