Event: In Conversation with Tom Orlik – The Chinese Economy: Still Vulnerable?

At the beginning of the year, financial markets were focused on the vulnerabilities of Chinese economy. Equities were volatile, and China was losing reserves at a rapid rate. Things now appear to have calmed. But is this just a temporary lull? Or will reform efforts help build a strong, resilient economy? Join Chief Asia Economist for Bloomberg Intelligence, Tom Orlik, as he talks through these issues with the Lowy Institute’s International Economy Program Director, Leon Berkelmans.

Tom Orlik is Bloomberg’s Chief Asia Economist based in Beijing. Orlik leads a team providing in-depth analysis of Asia macroeconomic data and policies, and how they will impact financial markets globally. The focus of his research is on China. Previously, Orlik was the chief China economics correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, and China economist for Stone & McCarthy Research Associates. Prior to coming to China, he was an advisor to the UK Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund and policy analyst at the British Treasury. He is the author of Understanding China’s Economic Indicators, the definitive guide to working with China’s economic data. Orlik has a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor’s in English from University College London.

Dr Leon Berkelmans is the Director of the International Economy Program and the G20 Studies Centre at the Lowy Institute. Before joining the Institute, Leon was a Senior Manager at the Reserve Bank of Australia, where he worked on the Chinese and Indian economies, investment, trade, and financial markets. Prior to the RBA, Leon worked at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington D.C., where his main responsibilities were macro-econometric modelling of the United States economy. Leon has also spent time working in Kenya, evaluating the efficacy of different methods of giving aid, and has also worked as an economic consultant at the Centre for International Economics. Leon has a PhD in economics from Harvard University. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Australian National University, with a year on exchange to Oxford University.