Editor’s Note
With the support of the university and the school, the School of Economics at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics is building the branded academic series Statecraft Economics · Frontiers of Political Economy. Relying on key academic initiatives including academic papers, monographs, seminars, lectures and research reports, the school further expands new room for the development of its political economy discipline. On the new journey toward Chinese‑style modernization, it contributes the insights and strengths of SUFE’s political economy discipline to the construction of the theoretical, knowledge and discourse systems of Chinese economics.
On April 18, 2026, the 17th Annual Conference of Chinese Evolutionary Economics was successfully hosted at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Co-organizers of the conference included the Secretariat of the Annual Conference of Chinese Evolutionary Economics, the School of Economics, the Institute of Marxism, the Institute for Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and the Shanghai Social Science Innovation Research Base for “Research on the Innovation of the Discourse System of Socialist Political Economy with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”.
Centered on the theme “Evolutionary Economics and China’s Economic and Social Development during the 15th Five‑Year Plan Period”, the conference welcomed experts, scholars and postgraduate students from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, Renmin University of China, Nanjing University, Wuhan University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Nankai University, Xiamen University, Beijing Normal University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Jilin University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and other universities and research institutes. Editorial representatives from journals including Review of Evolutionary and Innovation Economics, Economic Perspectives, Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Quarterly Journal of Political Economy, Comparative Economic & Social Systems, Academic Monthly, Shanghai Economic Review, Social Sciences, Shanghai Journal of Economics, Studies in Political Economy, Fujian Tribune, Study & Exploration, Contemporary Economic Research, Social Sciences Digest, Economic Review, Research on Financial and Economic Issues, Humanities Journal, as well as The Commercial Press and Gezhi Publishing House, were also invited to attend.
Opening Ceremony
On the morning of April 18, Professor Xia Jijun, Assistant to the President and Director of the Academic Affairs Office of SUFE, and Professor Chen Yuanyuan, Deputy Dean of the School of Economics, delivered addresses on behalf of the university and the school respectively. Professor Zhang Lin from Yunnan University, Rotating Chair of the 17th Annual Conference of Chinese Evolutionary Economics, presented a work report on behalf of the conference secretariat.
Professor Xia Jijun noted that as China’s earliest business university in modern educational history, SUFE has continuously reached new heights in all undertakings amid national development. In the new era, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and in light of the fundamental and advantageous position of theoretical economics, SUFE has further refined its disciplinary layout with distinctive institutional features. Evolutionary economics treats the economy as an evolving system featuring diversity, uncertainty and historical path dependence, offering a unique theoretical lens for understanding long-run evolutionary laws of economic development. The year 2026 marks the start of the 15th Five‑Year Plan. It is the mission of academic research serving national development to analyze the stage-specific features of China’s economic development from an evolutionary economics perspective and provide policy insights for fostering new growth drivers and tackling new challenges.
Professor Chen Yuanyuan summarized forward-looking explorations and phased leapfrog achievements of the School of Economics over the past two decades, and introduced its disciplinary development, talent cultivation, scholarly research and academic inheritance and innovation. She affirmed the important standing of the Annual Conference of Chinese Evolutionary Economics among national academic associations. She stated that the conference is committed to advancing localized innovation of evolutionary economic theories and research on real-world Chinese economic issues, making substantial contributions to the development and innovation of Chinese economic theories.
Professor Zhang Lin reported recent progress of the conference in compiling the Yearbook of Chinese Evolutionary Economics, publishing academic book series and building academic platforms. He elaborated the conference’s open, inclusive and practical academic ethos, and proposed that the conference uphold interdisciplinary exchange without excluding mainstream economic research, focus on real-world issues to serve national development strategies, and support young scholars and doctoral students to facilitate intergenerational disciplinary succession.
The opening ceremony was hosted by Professor Mao Peihua, Deputy Dean of the School of Economics. He further introduced the three other co-organizers: the Institute of Marxism, the Institute for Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought of SUFE, and the Shanghai Social Science Innovation Research Base for “Research on the Innovation of the Discourse System of Socialist Political Economy with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”.
Keynote Speeches
The first session of keynote speeches was chaired by Professor Yang Hutao, Director of the Foreign Economic Thought History Research Office at the Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, with four scholars delivering presentations.
Professor Jia Genliang from Renmin University of China delivered a speech titled Connections among New Macroeconomics, Evolutionary Economics and Political Economy. Professor Luo Weidong from Zhejiang University presented Adam Smith as an Evolutionary Economist. Professor An Tongliang from Nanjing University spoke on The Fourth Path: Reconstructing Chinese Economics in the Digital Age. Professor Ma Yan from SUFE shared Innovative Exploration in Building an Independent Knowledge System of Chinese Political Economy for the New Era.
The second session of keynote speeches was chaired by Professor Wang Huanxiang from Jiaxing University, with four scholars presenting their research.
Professor Zhang Haifeng from Guangxi Normal University delivered a talk titled The Computing Power Trap: High‑Energy-Consumption Directions and Evolutionary Paths of AI Technology Trajectories. Professor Deng Jiugen from Jiangxi Normal University presented Integration of Dao‑Fa‑Shu‑Ji Thinking: Creative Synthesis Research of Marxist Political Economy and Evolutionary Economics. Assistant Professor Chen Junting from Xiamen University spoke on The Institution-Focusing Mechanism of Interactive Knowledge Evolution: Reflections on Mokyr’s Framework. Doctoral student Su Hanlei from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences presented Power within Firms: An Intellectual History Study from the Old Institutional Economics Perspective.
Parallel Sessions
Four parallel sub-forums were held in the School of Economics on the afternoon of April 18.
Sub-forum 1, “Theory, Methodology and History of Thought in Evolutionary Economics”, was hosted and commented on by Professor Jing Yuqin from the editorial department of Contemporary Economic Research, Zhang Yichen from Social Sciences, Professor He Wei from Journal of the History of Economic Thought, and Professor Fu Yi from Central South University.
Sub-forum 2, “Evolutionary Economics and Marxist Economics”, was hosted and commented on by Researcher Lan Peng, Director of the editorial department of Comparative Economic & Social Systems, Researcher Tian Hua from Social Sciences Digest, Professor Dai Shuping from Jilin University, and Associate Professor Wang Shouyi from Yunnan University.
Sub-forum 3, “Evolutionary Economics and China’s Economic Development”, was hosted and commented on by Niu Zedong from the editorial department of Humanities Journal, Du Lei, Deputy Director of Economic Review, Professor Cheng Na from Shanghai University, and Professor Wang Huanxiang, Executive Editor of Review of Evolutionary and Innovation Economics.
Sub-forum 4, “Research on Real Economic Issues in China”, was hosted and commented on by Researcher Chen Yan from Fujian Tribune, Sun Yan, Director of the editorial department of Research on Financial and Economic Issues, Zhang Shuo from Economic Perspectives, and Associate Professor Cui Qingbo from Yunnan University.
Participants engaged in lively exchanges and discussions around the themes. The sessions featured clear focuses and a cordial atmosphere, attracting broad participation from scholars, faculty and students.
Thematic Speeches
The thematic presentations in the afternoon of April 18 were chaired by Professor Feng Kaidong from Tsinghua University, with six scholars sharing their research.
Professor Yang Hutao from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences delivered the thematic speech Developing New Quality Productive Forces in Light of Local Conditions: An Explanation from Evolutionary Economics. Professor Li Zheng from Liaoning University presented A Modern Industrial System for the First Decade of the High‑Income Stage. Professor Yan Peng from Central China Normal University spoke on Accelerating the Building of a Modern Industrial System Supported by Advanced Manufacturing. Professor Wu Yin from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics shared Building a Modern Financial System Adapted to the Development of Future Industries during the 15th Five‑Year Plan. Professor Dai Shuping from Jilin University addressed The Complexity of Upgrading Traditional Industries. Researcher Sui Jigang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences presented Innovation-Driven Development amid the New Technological Revolution.
Closing Ceremony
The closing ceremony was hosted by Professor Ding Xiaoqin from the Institute of Marxism and the Institute for Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought of SUFE. He introduced the disciplinary layout of SUFE’s “One Zone and Two Institutes” and the construction outcomes of the “One Body with Two Wings” framework for Marxist disciplines.
Professor Chai Ying from Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, on behalf of the host institution for the next conference — the School of Economics of Guangdong University of Finance and Economics — expressed gratitude to the Annual Conference of Chinese Evolutionary Economics and the current host, the School of Economics of SUFE. She introduced the disciplinary construction, degree program layout and research platform strengths of the School of Economics at Guangdong University of Finance and Economics. She stated that the university would uphold high academic standards and build a more dynamic exchange platform, sincerely inviting scholars to gather in Guangzhou in 2027.
Professor Yang Hutao from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences delivered the conference summary. He remarked that this annual conference featured a distinct theme, substantial content and a streamlined format, integrating theoretical depth, practical concerns and intergenerational succession. It promised new contributions from evolutionary economics to sustaining China’s twin miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability during the 15th Five‑Year Plan period. Meanwhile, he extended special thanks to the host and organizer institutions for providing the platform and valuable opportunities for academic exchange and scholarly friendship, and declared the conference successfully closed.
Journal and Press Roundtable
On the evening of April 18, the journal and press roundtable was held in Meeting Room 710 of the School of Economics, SUFE. Hosted by Professor Mao Peihua, Deputy Dean of the School of Economics, editorial representatives from journals including Economic Perspectives, Academic Monthly, Shanghai Economic Review, Social Sciences, Social Sciences Digest, Economic Review, Research on Financial and Economic Issues and Humanities Journal introduced their respective submission criteria and offered suggestions on academic writing.
Conference Summary
Centered on the core theme “Evolutionary Economics and China’s Economic and Social Development during the 15th Five‑Year Plan Period”, the 17th Annual Conference of Chinese Evolutionary Economics built a high-level academic dialogue platform for evolutionary economics research in China. Around four core topics — evolutionary economic theory and intellectual history, evolutionary economics and Marxist economics, evolutionary economics and China’s economic development, and evolutionary analysis of real Chinese economic issues — systematic academic discussions combining theoretical depth and practical breadth were carried out via keynote speeches, parallel sub-forums and the journal-press roundtable.
The conference further clarified the paradigmatic core and intellectual evolution of evolutionary economics, promoted creative synthesis between evolutionary economics and Marxist political economy, consolidated theoretical foundations and expanded research paradigms for constructing China’s independent knowledge system in economics. Anchored in core tasks of China’s economic and social development in the 15th Five‑Year Plan period, it provided solid theoretical support and actionable policy ideas for major strategic initiatives such as localized cultivation of new quality productive forces, the construction of a modern industrial system and the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries from an evolutionary economics analytical perspective.
