China and the Social Credit System

What are the consequences of China’s rapid growth in technology? Western news media are full of panic stories about Huawei, the social credit system, surveillance, artificial intelligence and big data, that China is supposed to use to build an Orwellian control society.

In this session, Rogier Creemers takes you beyond the panic and into the real story of China’s rapid technological rise. He uncovers what drives China’s technology agenda, how it fits into the country’s broader ambitions, and why it has sparked so much debate in the West.

You’ll explore the systems that fuel both fascination and fear, from surveillance tools to the social credit narrative, and examine whether they function the way Western media often claim. Rogier also sheds light on the motivations behind China’s tech strategy. He looks at what this means for Europe. How should we respond? Where are the risks—and where might we be overreacting? What opportunities lie in understanding China rather than fearing it?

Rogier Creemers is an Assistant Professor in the law and governance of China at Leiden University. With a background in Chinese studies, international politics and law, he mainly focuses on the Chinese government’s increasing use of technology in domestic governance processes, as well as China’s role in global cyberspace.

More information about the date and location is coming soon.