Chinese finance officials visit Carey Business School to learn about public-private partnerships

A group of 18 senior-level officers from China’s Ministry of Finance visited the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School on September 20 to learn more about the complexities of public-private partnerships. Public-private partnerships are collaborations between government agencies and private companies that are often used to complete high-cost projects, including transportation systems, stadiums, and other civic initiatives.

According to the World Bank, China has more than 14,000 public-private partnership projects underway, which total more than $2.6 trillion. The country is also the top destination in the world for infrastructure investment. Maryland is home to some of the largest public-private partnerships in the United States including extension of the Light Rail Purple Line, upgrades to the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore, and a redesign of travel plazas along I-95.

The delegation from China included many provincial-level finance leaders and was led by Jiao Xiaoping, director general of the China Public Private Partnerships Center at the Ministry of Finance. While at the Carey Business School, the delegation attended a presentation by Ko Wang, the R. Clayton Emory Chair of Real Estate and Infrastructure, and met with nearly a dozen Carey faculty. The group also toured the school’s Harbor East campus in Baltimore and met with Alex Triantis, dean of the Carey Business School, and Kevin Frick, vice dean for education.