Oxford China Conversations 2, chaired by Professor Patricia Thornton. The Oxford China Conversations series will be inviting scholars at the University of Oxford and beyond to engage in discussions of key questions within the study of Chinese politics, history, and contemporary society. Each session will feature three world-renowned experts offering their views on a select question, moderated by a faculty member of the University of Oxford China Centre. Our goal is to foster conversation and debate that will be of interest to specialists while remaining accessible to a broad public audience. Sessions will last one hour, with the first forty-five minutes consisting of a moderated discussion between the invited speakers, and the last quarter hour offering audience participants the opportunity to submit questions to be asked by the moderator. We will be using the Zoom webinar format, and the first forty-five minutes will also be recorded to be made available online for public viewing subsequently. The Oxford China Conversations are an initiative of the Oxford China Centre Seminar Series, co-run by the Faculty of Oriental Studies and the Oxford School for Global and Area Studies and hosted by the University of Oxford China Centre.