Club Lunch: Is China An Empire In The 21st Century?

Author &

Senior Asia Correspondent, MLex

Toh Han Shih, the author of the book “Is China an empire?” discussed whether China’s large and growing investment and trade with the rest of the world is turning the nation into a de facto empire in the 21st century, even if China denies it. By acquiring companies in Europe, building railways in Africa and dams in Latin America and more, is China emerging as a new empire? Xi Jinping’s vision of One Belt One Road aims to link China with Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa through a network of railway, ports, highways and power stations.

By pouring billions of dollars of investments globally, China has become a net capital exporter that recently overtaken the U.S. as the biggest buyer of assets in the world. Does China’s massive global economic expansion challenge the U.S. as the new superpower in the 21st century?

Toh Han Shih is a Singaporean who has lived in Hong Kong for more than 10 years, having dedicated much of his time in the city as a reporter for the South China Morning Post. At Hong Kong’s leading newspaper he covered business and economics in China, including the mainland’s investments around the world, which gave him the inspiration to write this book. He is currently Senior Asia Correspondent of MLex, an international provider of news, analysis and commentary on regulatory risk.