As protests erupted last week across China in response to continuing lockdowns and the country’s zero covid policy, two leading experts join Intelligence Squared to discuss how significant a moment this is for China and President Xi Jinping. Some commentators have compared the protests to 1989, when students demonstrated for political reforms and democracy. While others say the protests are really about covid policy and will die down once restrictions are loosened. 

In addition to the political unrest, the  Chinese economy is also facing a difficult outlook too. This year China is forecast to grow at its slowest pace in three decades and the IMF have warned Asia’s leaders and central bankers to brace for ‘exceptional’ uncertainty and inflationary pressures from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hitting the region. 

So what vision does Xi have for China? Will he be forced to ditch zero covid? And what do China’s political and economic challenges mean for the rest of the world? Join Yasheng Huang and Kerry Brown as they answer your questions on the future of the world’s most populous country.