Professor Keyu Jin is a Chinese economist and professor of economics at the London School of Economics. She earned her BA and PhD in economics from Harvard University, where she specialised in international macroeconomics and China’s growth model.
Her research explores global trade imbalances, capital flows, technological competition, and the unique dynamics of China’s economic development.
In 2023, she published her widely acclaimed book, The New China Playbook: Beyond Socialism and Capitalism, which examines China’s hybrid approach to economic governance. Blending market mechanisms with state-led planning, Jin argues that China’s path is neither a rejection of capitalism nor a rigid adherence to socialism, but rather an evolving system shaped by local experimentation, entrepreneurship, and strategic centralisation.
Jin has held visiting positions at Yale University and the University of California, Berkeley, and previously worked with leading financial institutions and international organisations including the IMF and the World Bank. She serves on the boards of Richemont and Jardine Matheson and was previously a director at Credit Suisse. She is a member of the China Finance 40 Forum and an advisor to several global policy initiatives.
Recognised as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Jin is a frequent speaker at international forums including Davos.
In this episode of the Pearl Lam Podcast, Pearl Lam and Keyu Jin discuss China’s evolving global identity and the shifting structure of geopolitics.
Together, they unpack the layers of misunderstanding between China and the West, the myths surrounding the Chinese economy, and the generational transformation reshaping ambition, consumption, and individualism within the country.
Keyu offers a rare insider’s perspective, blending her academic insights with lived experience across Beijing, London, and the United States. From economic reform to innovation, this episode invites listeners to challenge assumptions and consider how cultural context shapes economic behaviour.
Follow Keyu Jin on LinkedIn here.
