How is China’s rise in electric vehicles changing its relationships with other countries: as a trading partner, a competitor or both? If electric cars can help us move towards a greener future, why do countries sometimes make foreign ones harder to buy? Should consumers have access to affordable cars, or should governments protect local industries and jobs? Join Emile, director of operations at the Canadian Chamber in Shanghai, for a discussion about the electric vehicle race, with China at the centre of the conversation. We’ll explore how innovation, environmental ambitions and national interests meet... and why a car can become much more than a consumer choice.

Together, we’ll consider the competing priorities of consumers, carmakers and governments, comparing the arguments for open competition and protection. When does supporting an industry encourage innovation, and when might it hold progress back? Who benefits from trade barriers, who pays the price, and what could these choices mean for the future of transport and international trade? No knowledge of cars, economics or trade policy is necessary: the background will be explained, and all perspectives are welcome. Expect an accessible, thoughtful conversation that helps you look beyond the headlines and understand the bigger decisions behind what we drive.

中国在电车领域的崛起，正在怎么改变它跟其他国家的关系：是贸易伙伴，是竞争对手，还是两个都是？如果电动车能帮我们走向一个更绿的未来，为什么有些国家还要让外国车更难买？消费者应该能买到便宜的车，还是政府应该保护本地的产业和工作？跟着 Emile 来聊一场关于电动车竞赛的讨论吧。他是上海加拿大商会的运营总监，而这场讨论的中心就是中国。我们会聊聊创新、环保野心和国家利益是怎么碰在一起的……以及为什么一辆车可以远远不只是一个消费选择。

我们会一起看消费者、车企和政府各自那些互相打架的优先事项，比较一下支持开放竞争和保护主义的理由。什么时候支持一个产业能鼓励创新，什么时候又可能拖慢进步？贸易壁垒谁受益、谁买单，这些选择对交通和国际交易的未来又意味着什么？不懂车、不懂经济、不懂贸易政策都没关系：背景会讲清楚，欢迎所有不同看法。这会是一场好懂又有想法的对话，帮你越过新闻标题，看懂我们开什么车背后那些更大的决定。