On November 20, 2024, Dr. Shaowei He, a professor at the University of Northampton, delivered a lecture titled “A Few Thoughts on Chinese Overseas Investment” at the workshop organized by the John Lukacs Institute for Strategy and Politics. The lecture focused on the rise of Chinese companies and their rapid internationalization. Dr. He demonstrated how China transitioned from being a copier of foreign technologies to becoming a leader in innovation. He highlighted that this transformation can be narrated in other countries as both a threat and an economic opportunity. He pointed out that knowledge and innovation increasingly originate from China in many fields today. China's evolving role in the field of research and development offers significant potential for collaboration, though this potential may be overshadowed by the challenges posed by intensifying geopolitical competition.
Concluding his lecture, Dr. He directed the participants’ attention to key questions, such as whether these limitations can be overcome through a conscious strategic approach, as seen in Hungary. He also raised the question of whether Hungary can sustain this approach in the long term. The event concluded with a discussion among participants about the anticipated developments in the geopolitical landscape, contributing new perspectives to the possible outcomes of ongoing research.