Speaker:

Associate Professor Shaohua Zhan
Division of Sociology, Nanyang Technological University

Date & Time:

Thursday, 9 October 2025
3:00pm – 4:30pm (Singapore Time)

On-site Venue:

469A Bukit Timah Rd, #06-01 Tower Block, Singapore 259770

Registration is required:

https://nus-sg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zpTauK19SFavXM8GjZgQfg

Synopsis:

Since the onset of the US–China trade war during Trump’s first term, Beijing has been forced to look beyond technology and manufacturing to buffer its economy. Agriculture and rural development have emerged as strategic levers — not only to absorb redirected exports but also to support food security and stabilise rural society. Yet low rural incomes and entrenched rural–urban disparities limit the power of consumption as a shock absorber.

This seminar explores how agriculture fits into China’s broader trade war strategy, from rural revitalisation campaigns to public service provision. It highlights the Chinese state’s competing objectives — boosting self-sufficiency, curbing inequality, and modernising agriculture — and argues that Beijing is unlikely to unleash sweeping stimulus to rural consumption. Instead, expect calibrated, incremental measures designed to relieve pressure, sustain rural stability, and quietly turn agriculture into an instrument of strategic resilience.