Post Event Update | 19th Party Congress Breakfast with Jude Blanchette, David Kelly & Rachel Morarjee

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Key insights to 19th Party Congress Breakfast with Jude Blanchette, David Kelly & Rachel Morarjee

On October 27, AustCham and BritCham held an exclusive breakfast for just under 100 guests, providing an update to the recent 19^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The panel, consisting of Jude Blanchette, Associate Director from The Conference Board’s China Center for Economics and Business, David Kelly, Director of Research from China Policy and Rachel Morarjee, Network Director of The Economist Corporate Network, . The discussion was moderated by Rowan Callick, the Asia-Pacific Editor of The Australian.

The panel of experts spoke on several key issues and on their interpretations of the 19th Party Congress. Jude provided valuable insights into the reform rhetoric of the CPC, with a deep analysis on the difficulties of reform as well highlighting policy possibilities. David emphasized the global implications of China’s domestic governance, using key Chinese narratives such as the “Century of Humiliation” and “Leader of the Developing World” as indicators of domestic and foreign policy. Rachel shared her thoughts on the Chinese leadership and economic issues, addressing the issue of succession as well as economic issues facing China such as amounting debt.

The following panel discussion and Q & A, with questions posed by Rowan and guests, focused on the future implications of the Party Congress, the outlook of the Chinese economy and the rise of China on the international stage. The panel was in consensus that China is now past the Reform and Opening Up Era and now is in what is known as the “Xi Jinping Era”. David underscored the Realpolitik of China’s foreign policy, utilising both bilateral and multilateral institutions in assisting its rise while Jude was uncertain over the future of China-US relations. Rachel warned the return to 19^th Century Great Power Politics.

The briefing gave guests several interesting and diverse perspectives into the future of China and the CPC, as well as providing a valuable opportunity to network. China, despite doubts, should remain a stable investment option at least for the foreseeable future – to the relief of the guests.

Among the guests were Australian Embassy and Austrade officials, including Senior Trade Commissioner Mr. Tebbutt, leading business figures, as well as AustCham board members.

About the speakers: 

Jude Blanchette

Associate Engagement Director

The Conference Board’s China Center for Economics and Business

Jude Blanchette is the engagement director at The Conference Board’s China Center for Economics and Business in Beijing. Previously, he was the assistant director of the 21st Century China Program at the University of California, San Diego. In his role at The Conference Board, he is responsible for the Center’s program development and member engagement, and coordinates the Center’s research on China’s political environment, with a focus on the workings of the Communist Party and its impact on foreign investors. He holds a Master’s degree in modern Chinese studies from the University of Oxford and a BA in economics from the Loyola University Maryland.  His book, Under the Red Flag: The Battle for the Soul of the Communist Party in a Reforming China, will be published by the University of Oxford Press in 2018.

David Kelly

Director of Research

China Policy

David leads research at China Policy, with main responsibility for the geopolitics team. Over thirty years his work has ranged widely across issues affecting China’s economic, political, and social institutions. These threads combine in his current work on China’s strategic positioning, political risk and the external impact of domestic policy.

David models policy risk with the aid of a three dimensional paradigm: legacy issues specific to Chinese history; ‘deep troubles’ that all policies seek to address; and China’s official belief system, the unspoken accompaniment of policy development. His close engagement with academic and research institutions in China affords him access to the conversation on governance and reform among the government’s senior advisors.

David is a regular media commentator on Chinese affairs including for the BBC, the ABC, the Financial Times, Al Jezzera, Sky News and Voice of America. He is a visiting professor at Peking University. He holds a PhD from the University of Sydney.

Rachel Morarjee

Network Director

The Economist Corporate Network

Rachel Morarjee is director of the Economist Corporate Network, the Economist Group’s advisory network and executive briefing service. She has lived in Beijing continuously for the last three years, having begun her international media career in China in the late 1990s. Immediately prior to joining The Economist Group, Rachel worked as the Reuters Breakingviews’ China columnist, covering financial risk and China’s recent overseas investment splurge. She earlier served as a consultant at Brunswick Group advising Chinese firms on their global media strategies and non-Chinese firms on Chinese government relations.

Before moving back to China in 2013, Rachel worked as a foreign correspondent for over two decades, writing for the Financial Times in London, Moscow and Afghanistan, covering subjects ranging from the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan to Russian banking and European stock markets. A fluent Mandarin speaker, she worked for Agence France Presse as Shanghai Bureau Chief as well as in Hong Kong and Kabul during the beginning of her career. Rachel read Chinese and History at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

About the moderator:

Rowan Callick

Asia-Pacific Editor

The Australian

Rowan Callick grew up in England, graduating with a BA Honours from Exeter University. He worked for a daily newspaper in the north east before moving in 1976 to Papua New Guinea, where he became general manager of a locally owned publishing, printing and retail group. In 1987 he moved to Australia, working for almost 20 years for The Australian Financial Review, finally as Asia Pacific Editor. He was China Correspondent for the AFR, based in Hong Kong, from 1996-2000. From 1990-1992 he was a senior writer with Time magazine. He joined The Australian at the start of 2006, as China Correspondent. After three years in Beijing, he became The Australian’s Asia-Pacific Editor in 2009.

He was appointed in 2013 a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs. He was a member of the National Advisory Council on Aid Policy from 1994-96, a board member of the Australia Indonesia Institute from 2001-2006, and a member of the Foreign Minister’s Foreign Affairs Council from 2003-2006. He is a member of the Advisory Boards of Deakin University’s Deakin Foundation, and of Melbourne University’s Asian Law Centre.  He has published two books: “Comrades & Capitalists: Hong Kong Since the Handover” in 1998 by the University of NSW Press, and “Party Time: Who Runs China and How” in February 2013 by Black Inc in Australia, then internationally in September 2013 by Palgrave Macmillan. He won the Graham Perkin Award for Journalist of the Year for 1995, and two Walkley Awards, for Asia-Pacific coverage, for 1997 and 2007. He was awarded an OBE on recommendation of the Papua New Guinea Government in 2014. He is married with two children.