Over the past two decades, China’s economy has enjoyed remarkable economic growth, and the Chinese economy is currently the second largest in the world — behind that of the United States. Some observers believe that China’s economy will overtake the United States by 2030, if not before. Yet recent reports indicate that China’s growth rate is slowing, with market analysts and economists predicting an annual growth rate as low as 7.5 percent — China’s lowest since 1990.

Despite this economic slowdown, there is little doubt that China will continue to grow more rapidly than the West and that it will continue to flex its muscles on the world stage. In the past year, China has vetoed several UN Security Council proposals regarding Syria, stepped up its engagement in Africa, and become embroiled in a multinational territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

In light of the Obama administration’s “Asia pivot” what can — and should — we expect from China in the mid- to long-term? Moving forward, what will be some defining characteristics of the relationship between China — the world’s largest Communist country — and the United States? How will the next five years determine China’s role in the international order? Join us for a discussion about current and future trends in the world’s fastest growing power through the lens of one of the Economist Group’s most veteran China watchers.