China has, since 2008, rebuilt its economy from the ground up – literally. This has meant fundamentally “reinventing energy”, moving to provide the lion’s share of its future energy through renewables.
Overlaid on this energy revolution has been an infrastructure transformation in the transport and telecommunications sectors, now placing China at the front of the global race for the world’s best and most extensive networks. With this foundation, China has prioritised the promotion of innovative industries, including the production of microchips, electric vehicles, batteries, drones, robots and renewable energy equipment (notably solar panels and wind turbines), in highly automated production lines. Finally, underpinning and overlaying all of the above – energy, infrastructure, new industries – China has been incorporating AI to improve efficiency, in particular reducing production costs. This has all been accomplished on a scale and at a speed largely unappreciated by the West, and in particular Wall Street investors.
This talk will consider these developments, and point to the significant implications for Western Industry of this tsunami of product coming out of China.
Speaker:
- Michael Power
Refreshments will be served before the event.
Entrance is free for SAIIA members
Visitors pay R80; students pay a donation
