People In the Know

China and the United Kingdom are enjoying what has been described as a golden era of bilateral ties. Ever since a visit to London by Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2015, relations between the two countries have reached even greater heights, with politicians and business leaders on both sides expressing their wish to cooperate even more closely in a range of fields.So, what better time to explore the potential of partnerships between the technology sectors of London and Beijing?At the recent Beijing-London Tech Venture Forum, PIK spoke to Gavin Poole, CEO of Here East and Deng Feng, founder and managing director of Northern Light Venture Capital.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is on a visit to the Middle East, which is taking him to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran. The Middle East is a region of growing importance to China. Not only does China import more than half of its crude oil from this region, but it is also an important link in China's "One Belt and One Road" initiative. To safeguard the stability of the region is also a high priority for China. The year 2015 witnessed China taking up a greater diplomatic role in Middle East affairs.So how do experts analyze the importance of the Chinese president's visit? What potential can all sides tap into to elevate their ties in a comprehensive way? Ni Hao, you're listening to People in the Know, presenting you with insights into the headlines in China, and around the world. PIK spoke to Professor Chen Yiyi, head of Middle Eastern Peace Studies at Shanghai Jiaotong University and Professor Wang Suolao, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies in the School of International Studies at Peking University.

The latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that China's economy grew 6.9 percent year on year in 2015, marking the slowest annual expansion in a quarter of a century. However, Chinese authorities say the result remains in line with the official target.Chief of the National Bureau of Statistics, Wang Bao'an, says China's economic structure continued to improve last year, as the service sector accounted for more than half of the country's GDP for the first time ever.He also points out that some thriving emerging industries and new business models were among the highlights of last year's economic growth.So how should we read China's latest economic figures? What are the worrying factors in the Chinese economy?To answer those questions, we had a conversation with Dr. He-ling Shi, Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics, Melbourne-based Monash University; Liu Baocheng, professor from the University of International Business and Economics; and Terrill Frantz, professor at the Peking University HSBC Business School.

The two-day inaugural meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank's board of governors has concluded in Beijing, marking the formal opening of the China-initiated lender. Thirty of the 57 prospective founding members, representing over 74 percent of the shares, have ratified the article agreement, thus becoming full members of the AIIB.Those remaining will have completed their membership processes by the end of this year.So how's the AIIB evaluated by analysts? How can the AIIB manage its business while also trying to boost world development? PIK spoke to Dr. Hu Yuwei, Research fellow at the macro research department at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China and Victor Gao, current affairs commentator.

President Xi Jinping will begin a visit to the Middle East today, marking his first official trip to the region since taking office. This trip will take Xi to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran from Tuesday to Saturday. It will be the first state visit in nearly 12 years by a Chinese president to Egypt. It also comes at a critical time, with Saudi Arabia and Iran tangled in a diplomatic spat. So how should we interpret Xi's first overseas trip in 2016? What can China and the three major Middle Eastern countries offer each other? PIK spoke to Dr. Teng Jianqun, senior researcher at China Institute of International Studies and Victor Gao, current affairs commentator.

The year 2016 will see several new laws taking effect in China. One of them is

China's first bill against domestic violence, which will take effect on March

the first.

Seen as a landmark move to legally protect abuse victims, who have

traditionally suffered in silence, the law formally defines domestic violence as

physical, psychological and other harm inflicted by family members.

The law will also streamline the process for obtaining restraining

orders.

Another highlight of the bill is that it covers people who are not

related but live together.

So how should we interpret the significance of this

ground-breaking law for China? Which aspects should we pay special attention

to?PIK speaks with Xu Shenjian, professor at Law School, at China

University of Political Science and Law, Li Ying, Vice Dean at Law School, at China

Women's University and Julia Broussard, Country Programme Manager at UN Women China

Office, and her colleague Guo Ruixiang.

The circuit breaker mechanism was introduced into China's stock market to provide a calming-down period for the market, to avoid or reduce hasty trading decisions in case of sharp fluctuations.It was triggered four times during the first week of trading in January after China's stock markets tumbled. China's securities regulator later suspended the new circuit breaker mechanism. This comes after the Chinese stock market witnessed its shortest trading day on Thursday.So how did the circuit breaker mechanism work? Why was it later suspended by China's financial authorities? People In the Know speaks with Liu Zhiqin, Senior Fellow of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University, Einar Tangen, Former Chairman of the State of Wisconsin's International Trade Council, Cao Can, CEO of Shengya Capital as well Dermot McGrath, founding member of Sino Global Capital.