On July 1, 2026, Professor Zhang Honglin, a tenured professor at Illinois State University (ISU) in the United States, delivered an invited lecture in the CESD Distinguished Lecture Series. His presentation was entitled ‘Frontiers and New Directions in Global Industrial Chain Research with Reference to China–US Economic and Trade Interactions.’ Associate Dean Liu Weilin chaired the lecture, which was attended by CESD faculty and students, including Professor Zhou Mi and Guo Jiahong.

Professor Zhang analyzed the restructuring of global value chains and China–US economic and trade interactions. He noted that the organization of global industrial chains is shifting from a singular emphasis on efficiency toward regionalization and diversification. Drawing on trade data, he explained that, although tariffs have reduced the share of direct trade between China and the United States, the two economies remain indirectly connected through supply chains involving third-party economies in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere. This creates a complex pattern of decoupling alongside continued interconnection. Structural complementarity between high-end technologies and low- to mid-end manufacturing also makes it difficult to sever their industrial ties. Turning to the overseas expansion of Chinese enterprises, Professor Zhang examined its practical drivers and development trajectories. He argued that firms should move beyond short-term inventory reduction toward international expansion based on capabilities, with technological empowerment and the joint development of business ecosystems at its core. He also discussed how China could draw on its comprehensive industrial system and vast domestic market to participate in the reshaping of global economic and trade rules. Following the lecture, faculty and students discussed China–US industrial chain interactions, the development of the AI industry, and pathways for the globalization of Chinese enterprises with Professor Zhang.