UM’s Doctor honoris causa Lecture: Population Factors in China’s Economic Growth
Speaker: CAI Fang, Chief Expert of National Think Tank, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Date：4 Dec 2023 (Mon)
Time：14:30
Language: Mandarin
Venue: Multi-function Hall, UM Guest House (N1-G014), University of Macau
Register: https://go.um.edu.mo/lej0q2bh
Abstract:
With the dynamic evolution of its population, China’s economic growth has gone through the phases of benefitting from, decline and disappearance of demographic dividends since the nation’s reforms and opening-up. The most recent development witnesses China entering an era of negative population growth and moderate aging, bringing about both challenges and opportunities to its economy. This lecture delves into the challenges presented from the supply and demand perspectives, discussing key socio-economic issues that are emerging. It will elucidate new opportunities for the nation, enterprises, and individuals while confronting these challenges, presenting policy recommendations on both macro and micro levels. To address the challenges of population decline and aging society, in the final analysis it is a matter of continuous reforms aimed at enhancing productivity, stimulating consumption by residents, revitalizing birth rates, and constructing a comprehensive social welfare system. In their words, demographic dividends need to be replaced by reform dividends.
About the speaker:
Professor CAI Fang is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and serves as the chief expert of the National Think Tank at CASS. He also holds a position as a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the People’s Bank of China. Professor Cai has previously served as the Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Director of the China-Africa Institute at CASS. He was also a member of the standing committee of the 11th, 12th, and 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) of China, and the Vice Chairman of the Rural Affairs Committee of the 13th NPC.
His research focuses on various aspects of China’s economy, including economic reform and development, population and labor economics, economic growth, income distribution, and poverty reduction. He has published extensively on these topics.
Among his recent publications are “The Era of Population Decline” (CITIC Press, 2023), “China’s Economic Development: Implications for the World” (Taylor & Francis, 2023), and “China’s Economic Growth Prospects – From Demographic Dividend to Reform Dividend” (Edward Elgar, 2016).
