In July 2026, a group of researchers and staff from the Boston University Global Development Policy Center (GDP Center) traveled to Beijing, China. This was part of bi-annual trip to engage with Chinese partners and stakeholders, and share their latest research and exchange ideas with policymakers, development finance institutions, and academics through workshops and meetings.

While in Beijing on July 13, the GDP Center team partnered with the Institute for World Economics and Politics (IWEP) under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), to co-host a workshop on global imbalances and China-Global South relations. The workshop examined how these imbalances have evolved in a changing international financial environment, and how China and Global South countries can work together toward a more growth-enhancing and mutually beneficial global economy. Chinese and international experts convened to unpack the issues and formulate policy recommendations. Pardee Professor and Director of the GDP Center, Kevin P. Gallagher, delivered opening remarks alongside CASS-IWEP Deputy Director Bin Zhang, then joined a session on the role Chinese development financial institutions play in supporting Global South countries, a core subject of his own research.

During the trip, the GDP Center also partnered with Development Reimagined, a Beijing-based Kenyan-owned international consultancy, on a roundtable China-Africa energy and climate cooperation, laying groundwork for priorities to be raised at the 2027 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). With the next FOCAC summit fast approaching, this event provided an opportunity for participants to reassess cooperation priorities and deepen mutual understanding around green and inclusive development. Gallagher presented GDP Center’s recent research on key trends in China-Africa economic relations and emphasized on China’s role in Africa’s energy transition to achieve sustainable development. The discussion confirmed that energy transition and climate cooperation will remain the defining areas for the next phase of China-Africa engagement. The roundtable was attended by African ambassadors to China from Zambia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, Chinese government officials and representatives from think tanks and academic institutions.

Following these events in Beijing, the GDP Center team will build on these conversations and continue to advance its research on China’s role in global development and explore new areas of engagement.