Meet the New China: Cultural Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities

Since 1978, China has moved more than 250 million people out of poverty --  an accomplishment unprecedented in human history. To maintain the forward momentum, 15 million new jobs need to be created every year. During the next decade, more than 400 million people will need to move from the countryside to cities.

Such large-scale change will create previously unimagined infrastructure demands. It also will both require and create major cultural shifts, which will present new challenges and opportunities. In this full-day roundtable, we'll take an in-depth look at a variety of issues -- including the evolving role of media, the move to megacities, mobile communications, education, and the emerging affluent class and luxury market --  and their implications for multinationals operating in or marketing to China. Featured speakers include Hernando de Soto, Author, The Mystery of Capital; Ermenegildo Zegna, of the Zegna Group; and Zhao Qizheng, Minister, State Council Information Office, among many others.

Monday, 16 May   

THE MEDIA'S EVOLVING ROLE IN CHINA
As the world becomes increasingly porous, the media face a vexing task: How does this industry explain one country and its culture to another? China's flourishing media offer a full menu of news and entertainment available 24/7 in print, on radio and television, and online. But is more necessarily better?

The session will open with remarks from the chairman and CEO of the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerate, followed by comments from China's minister of the State Council Information Office. The minister will then be joined by one of the world's most respected journalists for a conversation about the social, political, economic, and cultural implications of media globalization. This frank dialogue will explore the responsibilities of media conglomerates and governments in promoting a free exchange of information and ideas, and the long-term outlook for government control of the flow of information.

FEELING THE PULSE, FRAMING THE ISSUES
A Chinese pollster and an Ivy League professor with long experience in China will look at how the socio-economic shifts of the past few decades are changing Chinese perceptions and behavior. The aspirations and day-to-day concerns of the Chinese people may surprise many. This overview will reveal why businesses and governments need to pay close attention to these changes.

MEGACITIES: URBANIZATION IN ASIA
Explosive population growth and migration by millions from the countryside are creating cities that dwarf the great capitals of the past. Asia, home to 55% of the world's population, boasts nine of the world's megacities. China is witnessing the greatest migration in world history. Is this trend good or bad? What impact is it having on local culture? Can the cities cope? How will governments and the private sector address the environmental, social, and developmental challenges created by massive urbanization? 

LUXURY GOODS: CATERING TO THE CONSUMING PASSIONS OF AN EMERGING AFFLUENT CLASS
Foreign luxury goods have always had great appeal in Asia. As expanding economies create a consumer class with significant disposable income, owning luxury goods has become a key indicator of the much-sought-after elevated lifestyle. This session will look at how the consumption of luxury goods is transforming Chinese society and the strategies that have proved most successful in the country's expanding markets. Key questions to be considered include: Will luxury labels, boutiques, and services continue to thrive in a country where relatively few can afford them and knock-offs can be found around every corner? How can China's home-grown luxury brands compete with foreign brands domestically and globally?

YOUTHFUL VOICES: MEET THE NEW CHINESE
More than 300 million of China's citizens are between the ages of 14 and 28. They are children of relative affluence, unaffected by the earlier vicissitudes of war and famine. Few remember much of life before the onset of China's reform and opening up in the late 1970s. Those who wish to tap into this enormous demographic group need to get to know them. This session will look at who they are and explore their dreams and aspirations, hopes and worries. Who do they emulate? What kind of lifestyle do they aspire to? How do they gauge success and self-fulfillment? What's hot to this group, and what's not?

FILM AND ENTERTAINMENT IN TODAY'S CHINA
This lively concluding session will bring together executives and entertainers from inside and outside the country to talk about the present and future of the film and entertainment industry in China.