The “China – A New Narrative” seminar and book release was successfully held at the National School of Development in Peking University on the afternoon of January 15th, 2019. Published by Truth & Wisdom Press, the book is edited by Yao Yang and Xi Tianyang, and contains contributions from over ten academics coming from universities including Peking University, Renmin University of China, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, South China Normal University, Sun Yat-sen University and the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Various academics from the fields of economics, law, political science and philosophy as well as representatives from Truth & Wisdom Press attended the event.

Professor Yao Yang, Dean of the Peking University National School of Development, first introduced the beginnings and main themes of the book. Professor Yao stated that economists must pay attention to the core reasons behind the success of China’s economy in order to be able to explain it, where the theory and logic behind China’s development model cannot be fully covered by simply referring to the ‘reform and opening-up’ or ‘market economy’. Although China has made great economic achievements, few academics have been able to fully describe the internal mechanisms and processes behind China’s development in theoretical narratives. The new era has brought about a pressing need for Chinese academics to construct new theoretical narratives for it. New theoretical narratives need to possess two traits: first, they must objectively explain China’s development processes in the past; and second, they must adopt theoretical language that can communicate with the world.

In the second segment of the seminar, several of the contributors to “China – A New Narrative” introduced the contents of specific chapters one by one and shared their personal research experiences.

In the final part of the seminar, four professors from Peking University, Yao Yang, Zhu Suli, Xu Xianglin and Zhang Yongle engaged in round-table discussions.

The audience at the seminar raised questions regarding the theoretical hypotheses and conditions of reality described in the narratives of the Chinese system. The book release was held after the end of the seminar, where representatives from the media and participating academics engaged fully in dialogue and interaction regarding the contents of the book.

China – A New Narrative: Analysis of the Operating Mechanism of China’s Political and Economic System

Editors: Yao Yang, Xi Tianyang

Authors: Chen Shuo, Chen Xiaoping, Geng Shu, Nie Huihua, Pang Baoqing, Qin Zizhong, Wang Xianbin, Xi Tianyang, Xu Xianxiang, Yao Yang, Zhang Muyang, Zhong Lingna

Publisher: Truth & Wisdom Press (Executive Editor: Qian Min)

2018, 1st edition