Laike Yang (Berlin)

Global value chain (GVC) has become an increasingly dominant feature of today’s global economy. This is driven by technological progress, production costs, access to resources and markets and is challenging conventional wisdom on how to look at and interpret trade and, in particular, the policies developed around it.

After two decades of quick expansion, China has become the world’s largest trader as well as one of the centers of GVC. Many questions and concerns have been raised about China’s involvement in Global Value Chain. Is China’s integration in GVC making China the world’s largest CO₂ emitter? Could China’s changing position in the GVC, with a lower emphasis on manufacturing, make it more likely to reach its environmental targets? The lecture is to explain China’s position in GVC and its impact on environment.

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Profile

Laike Yang is a professor in economics at East China Normal University, in Shanghai, China where he heads the Department of International Trade. Professor Yang holds a Ph.D. in economics from Xiamen University. He conducted his post-doctoral research at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). His main field of research is "Trade and Environment", with a focus on global value chains, trade structure and CO₂ emissions. He has published over 50 articles in Chinese and international peer reviewed journals as well as several books.

Professor Yang was awarded two research projects from China's National Research Fund for Social Science (2011 and 2016) as well as one research project from the Chinese Ministry of Education (2010). His book titled "Estimation of CO₂ embodied in China's Foreign Trade" was awarded as "Best Academic Achievement 2018" (First Prize in Book Category) by the Municipality of Shanghai.