The global economy is interlinked though trillions of dollars in trade and investment, with China playing an increasingly important role. What policies and systems ensure the greatest balance between security, resilience, efficiency, and fairness?
By some measures China has overtaken the United States as the world’s largest economy and could be on a path to do the same in information technology, artificial intelligence and biotech. How should the U.S. respond? There is broad agreement to pressure China to make significant changes in its treatment of intellectual property, fairness in regulating foreign investors, access to the service sector, and subsidies to state-owned companies. China’s rejection of democratic norms in its expansive international development programs, China’s increased use of domestic repression, its rapidly increasing military power, and its determination to enlarge its role in the world may pose significant challenges to the established international order. At the same time many of China’s policies and interests facilitate other countries’ development, including America’s, and complement existing institutions. Conflicts and complementarity must be balanced. This program looks at research from across Harvard for the best policies, ideas and advice for how best to respond to the many challenges posed by China's expanding role on the world stage. Faculty leadership: Lawrence H. Summers and William Overholt, with contributions from Graham Allison and Anthony Saich.
Focuses on the dynamics of international trade negotiations, problems of global governance, and international dispute settlement procedures at the World Trade Organization, with the central goal of making the global trading system work better. Faculty leadership: Robert Lawrence.
Organizes research and holds an annual symposium on issues relating to Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, including regional security, economic policy, and global trade and finance. Directed by Roger Porter.