Please note: this event has passed
Although Xi Jinping came to power a decade ago, he remains an enigmatic figure in the West. His priority has always been to keep Chinese society as stable as possible, steering a course through a period of astounding economic growth, while ensuring that nothing challenges the political status quo.
But with unrest stirring in Hong Kong, reports of human rights abuses taking place in the Xinjiang region and, devastatingly, the outbreak of a virus that would change the world, suddenly understanding Xi's China is more important than ever before.
In this short and timely book, academic and author Kerry Brown examines the complexities behind the man, explaining the impact that his rule is already having on the West. But who is Xi really, and what is his vision for China's future? And, crucially, what does that mean for the rest of the world?
This event will launch Professor Kerry Brown's new book "Xi: A Study in Power", where he discusses the book in conversation with Hannah Bretherton.
Doors open at 5:15pm and the event starts at 5:30pm. This will be followed by a networking drinks reception from 6:30pm-7:00pm.
About the speakers
(Author) Kerry Brown is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College, London. He is an Associate of the Asia Pacific Programme at Chatham House, London, an adjunct of the Australia New Zealand School of Government in Melbourne, and the co-editor of the Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, run from the German Institute for Global Affairs in Hamburg. He is an Affiliate of the Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies Unit at Cambridge University.
Prior to academia, Kerry has worked as a British diplomat for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as First Secretary at the British Embassy in Beijing, and then as Head of the Indonesia, Philippine and East Timor Section.
(Chair) Hannah Bretherton is the Impact & Engagement Manager at the Lau China Institute, King’s College London. She is also the founder of The China Puzzle - a digital media channel designed to create constructive dialogue on China in the UK.
Hannah began her career working for former Australian Foreign Minister, the Hon. Bob Carr, as a researcher at the Australia-China Relations Institute, the University of Technology Sydney. She went on to facilitate senior level strategic dialogue on China between business & government at the policy institute China Matters before working as a policy advisor for the New South Wales Government.
Hannah’s research and analysis has been published in range of publications, including peer reviewed academic journals. She received First Class Honours in International Relations from UNSW and received two scholarships to study Mandarin in China – at Lanzhou University and Shanghai Jiaotong University.
At this event
Director, Lau China Institute