Date: 24 June 2026

Venue: C110, School of Management

Topic: Understanding the Rise of China's EV Industry

In his speech entitled ‘Understanding the Rise of China’s EV Industry’, Li Shanjun began by framing the discussion from a macro perspective on the global expansion of electric vehicles, before conducting an in-depth analysis of the key drivers behind the cross-sectoral development of China’s electric vehicle industry. He systematically examined the logic behind the rise of China’s electric vehicle industry from four dimensions: industrial policy, charging infrastructure, the learning curve effect, and supply chain structure. Towards the end of the lecture, Professor Li broadened his perspective to the current landscape of global trade friction, analysing policy trends regarding the imposition of additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles by the US and the EU, as well as their potential implications. He argued that the rise of China’s electric vehicle industry has been driven by cross-level policy coordination and continuity, the proactive development of infrastructure, and a supply chain structure characterised by both competition and clustering—offering valuable insights for the green transition of other economies.

Speaker’s Profile: Li Shanjun, Steven and Roberta Denning Professor of Global Sustainability in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability,  a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)