ChinaTalk

Out of the Gobi: Weijian Shan on the Cultural Revolution, economic reform, and U.S.-China ties

Jan 15, 2020

Weijian Shan, Chairman and CEO of PAG Group and author of "Out of the Gobi," shares his inspiring journey from a teenage exile during the Cultural Revolution to leading a major investment firm. He reflects on the personal toll of this era and contrasts it with China’s current economic reforms. Shan discusses state-owned company challenges, the complexities of U.S.-China trade relations, and the recent protests in Hong Kong, urging for gradual reform and a richer discourse on freedom and democracy.

52:21

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Episode guests

Weijian Shan

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

Echoes of the Cultural Revolution

8min

Navigating Desolation and Transformation

23min

The Evolution and Complexities of Trade Relations

2min

Understanding U.S.-China Trade Relations and Economic Dynamics

5min

Contrasting Political Perspectives in Taiwan and China

7min

Democracy and Destruction: A Reflection on Hong Kong's Protests

4min

How does a bookish Beijing teenager, who found himself stuck for six years planting potatoes in the Gobi Desert, grow up to study with former chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen, teach at Wharton, and now lead one of Asia's most successful investment firms? In this episode, Shàn Wěijiàn 单伟建, the chairman and CEO of investment firm PAG Group, and the author of Out of the Gobi: My Story of China and America, tells his personal story of exile during the Cultural Revolution and provides his view on China’s economic transformation.

7:53: Looking back at the Cultural Revolution

23:53: The government’s role in China’s economic development

25:22: Challenges that state-run companies face

42:11: What to make of the protests in Hong Kong

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