How to deal with China

A Dialogue between European and Japanese experts on China
Date and TimeThursday, 4 April 2024, 1 pm to 4 pmVenue
Hotel Grand Arc Hanzomon, Room Fuji
1-1 Hayabusacho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 102-0092
Co-Organisers
GAS, Ins�tute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo
German Ins�tute for Japanese Studies (DIJ Tokyo), Max Weber Founda�on
Japan Associa�on of Corporate Execu�ves (Keizai Doyukai)
Programme
13:00 Introduc�on by Franz Waldenberger (DIJ Tokyo)
13:10 Keynotes by Hans van Ess (LMU Munich) andMats Lennart Harborn (Traton China Group)
13:40 Comments by Shigeto Sonoda (University of Tokyo),
Osamu Mogi (Kikkoman Corpora�on), Junichiro Ikeda (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines)
14:00 Open discussion, moderated by Tetsushi Takahashi (Nikkei)
14:50 Closing remarks
15:00 Networking recep�on
16:00 End
Language: English-Japanese, simultaneous interpretation.
The impressive rise of China has had a major impact on the world economy in terms of thelevel and the structure of trade and investment ﬂows. There has been a strong belief or hopethat China’s economic development and its increasing integra�on into the world economywould also spur poli�cal reforms at home towards a more inclusive and democra�c society.
Priva�za�on of state companies, burgeoning entrepreneurship and the opening up of theCommunist Party to entrepreneurs pointed in that direc�on. However, recent trends seem torefute these expecta�ons. Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, the Communist Party has redeﬁned
its ideological stance propagated as socialism with Chinese characteris�cs, strengthenedregula�ons towards state surveillance, upgraded its military power, and moved away from theoriginal “one country, two systems” approach on Hong Kong while upholding its claims against
Taiwan. Interna�onally, supported by extensive infrastructure ini�a�ves, it is posi�oning itself
as new global power, a leader of the Global South and a challenger of US hegemony. At thesame �me, China also faces many issues at home, such as regional dispari�es, widening
income gaps, environmental pollu�on, climate change, demographic change and a real estate
bubble. The strong centraliza�on of power does by itself neither ensure a monolithic structure
nor poli�cal stability or immunity against popular discontent, as China’s history demonstrates.
There are tensions between the military and the Party, among regions and the regions andthe center.
Given China’s indisputable economic and geopoli�cal importance, China cannot be ignored,
passed or de-coupled. It is at the same �me a partner, a compe�tor as well as an ideologicaland possible military opponent in the evolving mul�polar world order. When dealing with
China, how should we sort these diﬀerent rela�onal aspects? How should we balance theadvantages of economic integra�on with poli�cal and economic security concerns? How canwe maintain a construc�ve exchange without jeopardizing our own interests? Naturally, there
will be more than one answer to these ques�ons. They will depend not only on the depth of
our knowledge about China, but also from where – both geographically and ideologically – welook at China. With this in mind, it is important that we listen to experts with diverse
backgrounds. This conference brings together European and Japanese experts on China withbackgrounds in business and academia to discuss and weigh diverse perspec�ves, experiences,and recommenda�ons for a sound China strategy.

Speakers
Hans van Ess is professor for Chinese Studies at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München,LMU (since 1998). He served as Vice President of the University in charge of teaching andlearning (2007-2009), interna�onal aﬀairs (2013-2019), and research (2019-). From 2015 to2023, he was President of the Max Weber Founda�on, a German government fundedorganiza�on, which entertains eleven German research ins�tutes abroad, including theGerman Ins�tute for Japanese Studies in Tokyo. Since 2020, he is member of the Akademie
der Wissenscha�en und der Literatur. Hans van Ess’ research covers Chinese history andChinese philosophy, but he is also a well-sought speaker and consultant on contemporaryChina. Before embarking on an academic career, he worked as area manager in the Asia Paciﬁc
Business Associa�on in Hamburg from 1992 to 1995. He frequently visits China and is
Honorary Fellow of Sun Zhongshan University Guangzhou (2014-) and of United Interna�onal
College Zhuhai (2019-). His numerous publica�ons comprise ten monographs including aGerman book whose �tle translates as “The 101 most important ques�ons. China” (C.H. Beck,3rd edi�on 2020) and which introduces China to a wider public German audience.

Mats Lennart Harborn holds a bachelor of arts degree granted by Lund University majoring in
Oriental Studies and Business Administra�on in Sweden. He was previously the Commercial
Counsellor at the Swedish Embassy in China. Mr. Harborn re-joined Scania in 2004. He served
successively as the Managing Director of Scania China Representa�ve oﬃce as well as ofScania Sales (China) Co., Ltd. and the Execu�ve Director of Scania China Strategic Oﬃce. MatsHarborn was the president of Scania China Group from May 2020 un�l December 2023. Since
January 2024 he has been the Chief Representa�ve of Traton China Group. In addi�on, Mr.
Harborn has been ac�vely involved in Sino-European trade and business rela�ons. He waspreviously the President of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, Chairman ofSwedish Chamber of Commerce in China and the Chairman China Commercial Vehicles Boardof European Automobile Manufacturers’ Associa�on (ACEA). Mats Harborn has spent 31 years
working and living in China, speaks mandarin and is an ac�ve lecturer on China maters.
Junichiro Ikeda is Chairman of the Board of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. Before assuming hiscurrent post in April 2021, he had served as the President of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd since June
2015. In April 2018 he played a central role in establishing Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd.,
which integrated the container shipping businesses of MOL, NYK and K-line. From June 2013
to June 2015 he had served as Director, Senior Managing Execu�ve Oﬃcer of MOL, mainly
supervising the en�re Containership Business, including Port Projects and Logis�cs. He joined
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. in April 1979, and started his career in the Container Opera�onDivision. Following his return to Japan from London, U.K., where he had been involved in theContainership Business for all Europe, he held a number of managerial posi�ons in the Human
Resources Division, Corporate Planning Division, and the Containership Business. He had also
served as President of the Japanese Ship Owners’ Associa�on from June 2021 to June 2023,
promo�ng fair and free business ac�vi�es in the shipping industry and contribu�ng to thehealthy development of Japanese shipping. He graduated from the Faculty of Law, TokyoUniversity, in March 1979.
Osamu Mogi is Representa�ve Director, Senior Execu�ve Corporate Oﬃcer, and Head of theInterna�onal Opera�ons Division at Kikkoman Corpora�on. He received degrees from Keio
University (BA, 1990) and the University of WI – Milwaukee (MBA, 1993) before joining Price
Waterhouse LLP (Chicago Oﬃce) in 1993 and Kikkoman Corpora�on in 1996. He is a co-chairof the Globaliza�on Promo�on Commitee at Keizai Doyukai (Japan Associa�on of CorporateExecu�ves) where he promotes Japan-UK, Japan-US, and Japan-Germany exchanges.

Shigeto Sonoda is a professor at the University of Tokyo. A�er his 19 years’ service for private
universi�es, he returned to his alma mater in 2009 where he was appointed as professor atthe Interfaculty Ini�a�ve for Informa�on Studies and the Ins�tute for Advanced Studies onAsia. His special interest is in globaliza�on of Asia in compara�ve perspec�ves. His latest
publica�ons (all in Japanese) include Sino-Japan Relations, 2001-2022 (ed. with Akio Takahara,Tomoo Marukawa, and Shin Kawashima, 2023), Global Views of China (ed. with Yu Xie, 2021)
and National Sentiments in Asia (2020). Sonoda has been serving as director for the Beijing
Center for Japanese Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University in China since 2018.

Moderator
Tetsushi Takahashi is a member of the editorial board at Nikkei. He graduated from theDepartment of Poli�cal Science, Faculty of Law, Keio University in 1993 and joined Nikkei. Hewas responsible for covering Ministry of Finance, Bank of Japan, Ministry of Economy, Trade,and Industry, the Prime Minister's Oﬃce, and the Liberal Democra�c Party in the economicand poli�cal news departments. From 2003 for one year, he studied Chinese at Peking
University. He has a total of more than 10 years of expatriate experience in Greater China,including two years in Hong Kong before its return to China. From 2017 for four years, heserved as the China Bureau chief based in Beijing, overseeing Nikkei's China coverage. A�erreturning to Japan, he served as the editor for policy news unit for two years and has held his
current role since April 2023. He is responsible for editorials on China's economy, trade policy,and economic security.