The New Silk Road

On Wednesday, June 1st, 2016 an event on the theme of China’s New Silk Road was organized by Professor Dominique Jolly, Chair of the Walker School of Business and Technology at Webster Geneva Campus, and moderated by Professor Georges Haour from IMD, both of whom spoke. Presentations were also made by Professor Xiankun Lu, Partner, IDEAS Center Geneva, by Dr. James X. Zhan, Director of the Investment and Enterprise Division at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and by Jean-Guy Carrier, President of the Chamber of Commerce for the Silk Road “Obor and the business world”.

While Professor Lu expressed his passionate views on China’s drive for economic development through the “Obor”, which means “one-belt, one road”, or the new silk road, hinting of the future strength of China, Dr. Zhan spoke of the challenges of the trade agreements which are currently underway. In the presentation which followed, Mr. Guy Carrier spoke briefly on the novelty of this subject for the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and how the Silk Road has been a learning experience for them. The evening concluded over drinks and oriental food to capture the Chinese spirit.