‘A growing middle class inevitably leads to democracy’, this widespread hypothesis is partly based on Barrington Moore’s “Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World” (1966) and his famous assumption “no bourgeoisie, no democracy.” But is it really the case in China? Dr. Alice Ekman, Research Fellow for China at the French Institute of International Relations will address this question by taking into account the distinctive features of this population group in China, its evolving relations with the Communist Party as well as the emerging generation gaps.

Tuesday, March 10, 3pm-4:30pm
“China’s Emerging Middle Class: Will They Have a Political Impact”
Alice Ekman, Research Fellow for China, French Institute of International Relations (Ifri)
Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands | 80 RMB | Registration

‘A growing middle class inevitably leads to democracy’, this widespread hypothesis is partly based on Barrington Moore’s “Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World” (1966) and his famous assumption “no bourgeoisie, no democracy.” But is it really the case in China?  Dr. Alice Ekman, Research Fellow for China at the French Institute of International Relations will address this question by taking into account the distinctive features of this population group in China, its evolving relations with the Communist Party as well as the emerging generation gaps.

Alice Ekman is Research Fellow for China at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), analyzing major domestic and foreign policy developments. She is also an associate professor at Sciences Po in Paris. Regarded as one of Europe’s leading experts on China, she is currently a member of the EU committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) and provides analytical support on China to the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS).

Her latest publications include: “The Distinctive features fo China’s middle class” (Asie. Visions # 69, Ifri, June 2014), “Asia-Pacific: the priority of China’s foreign Policy” (Politique étrangère, Autumn 2014 – English version to be publised in March 2015), and “Nationalism in China and Japan: influences on bilateral relations” (Asie. Visions #70, Ifri, July 2014 – English version to be published in March/April 2015).

To register, please click here.

Event information provided courtesy of Legation Quarter