Steven Roach, former chief economist at Morgan Stanley, will describe the underpinnings of the current strain in U.S. and China relations, in remarks to the New Canaan Men’s Club Friday, Jan. 20, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
Now a senior fellow at Yale University, for several years, Roach was based in Hong Kong where he served as chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia.
In his talk, entitled: “Accidental Conflict: America, China and the Clash of False Narratives,” Roach will attribute the conflict between the U.S. and China as an accident that would not have happened were it not for “the false narratives that both America and China have embraced toward each other.”
On the one hand, he will say, the U.S. has made its trade deficit with China the scapegoat, rather than a shortfall in saving. On the other, China fears containment by the U.S. as “an existential threat to its prosperity,” rather than the consumer-driven transformation of its economy.
Roach joined the Yale faculty in 2010. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from New York University. He and his wife, Katie, have lived in New Canaan for 35 years.
The Men’s Club meeting will begin at 10 a.m. with Roach beginning his comments around 10:40 a.m. The club has openings for new members. Men 55-years old and above interested in joining should email ncmens@ncmens.club for further information.