On Monday 8th September, four members of the Epsom College Geographical Society travelled to the Royal Geographical Society in London to listen to Timothy Beardson speak on 'China's Future?'. Having lived in, worked in, and advised China for thirty five years, Timothy is an expert in this part of the world.
During his talk, he presented some of the key national and international challenges facing China and to what extent these may affect the present rapid pace of development. He wanted to focus on the possible problems that China may encounter in the foreseeable future. He brought to life for the audience the daunting array of challenges that today confront China, as well as the inadequacy of leadership's responses. Threats to China come from many fronts and by their number and sheer weight these problems will prevent the nation's ambition to take over as the world's "Number 1 power". Drawing on extensive research and experience living and working in Asia he gave details of China's situation: an unstoppable demographic future of the ageing, extreme gender disparity, a shrinking labour force, and even a falling population. Also, he suggested, the nation faces social instability, a spoiled environment, a low-tech economy with inadequate innovation.
He has also written a book 'Stumbling Giant: The Threats to China's Future' which goes into further detail and bravely counters widely-held assumptions that have predicted the near-certainty of China's rise to global supremacy. Overall, the lecture was well worth it and it is something we would find very useful to do again.
Zoe Olsen
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