China and Africa: Can China fill the vacuum left by the US?

Rachel Morarjee is the Beijing Director of The Economist Corporate Network. She brings two decades of foreign news reporting experience in markets as diverse as China, Russia and Afghanistan to bear on assessing geopolitical risk as well as local market opportunities. She has advised both foreign multinationals in China and Chinese firms investing overseas on strategy.

Hannah is the CEO of Development Reimagined, a pioneering international development consultancy and the first Kenyan wholly foreign owned enterprise based in Beijing. She also sits on the Executive Board of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, is China Representative of ChinaAfrica Advisory and International Development Director for the Made in Africa Initiative. Hannah is a former diplomat from both Kenya and Britain, and an economist by training with close to 20 years of experience. In all her current roles she provides strategic advice and practical support to Chinese and international organisations and stakeholders on issues from the Belt and Road Initiative, to Africa’s growth markets, development effectiveness, green growth and China’s foreign aid. Prior to this she led the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)'s work with China to help it scale up and improve its cooperation with other developing countries, including in Africa. Hannah is the recipient of numerous awards for her leadership in China and Africa and her contributions to gender/race diversity, has played various advisory roles for the UN, and is regularly cited in and invited to write/talk on global media outlets such as Bloomberg, Project Syndicate, Quartz Africa, the Diplomat, the Guardian, CGTN, TRT, and more. She is fluent in English, proficient in elementary Chinese, French and Swahili.

Herman Warren is The Economist Corporate Network’s Network Director for Africa. Herman works with corporate clients to provide insight and analysis on a range of topics related to the broad and specific African context, helping clients to prosper in one of the world's fastest growing and most dynamic economic zones. He regularly chairs and moderates events and delivers custom briefings to senior executives. Herman is the author of a number of white papers on infrastructure, financial and commercial developments in the region. Herman has previously worked as a management consultant with Bain & Company, started and run a successful mobile technology company and has held senior posts in both public- and private-sector corporations. Herman holds a BBA degree in Finance from Howard University.