Alice Han

A historian by training and an economist by practice, Alice Han brings a rare dual lens to a system defined by power, policy and long memory. As Director and China Economist at Greenmantle, she advises hedge funds, venture capital and private equity firms. Her focus spans China, US–China relations and Australia.

Han tracks China’s domestic economy, from weak consumption to record trade surpluses. She also examines the external pressures shaping it. In parallel, she analyses the strategic consequences of technology competition. This includes export controls and the global race for AI leadership.

On stage, she offers structured ways to think through uncertainty. Recently, Han analysed the purge within China’s Central Military Commission as an unprecedented consolidation of power. This may weaken operational readiness. It may also delay any potential move on Taiwan. In parallel, she has explored China’s so-called “Sputnik moment” in AI as strategic signalling. Not simply a measure of technological supremacy. In both cases, she moves beyond headlines to test what these developments mean in practice.

Alice Han is the co-host of China Decode, produced by Vox Media and Prof G Media. There, she dissects market movements, policy shifts and elite politics with clarity and discipline. Her work also appears in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and Foreign Affairs. She reaches both financial and policy audiences. Han was also a contestant on MasterChef Australia. An experience that reflects the same precision and composure she brings to her analysis.

Han helps leaders navigate a world where economics and geopolitics are inseparable. She does not simplify China. Instead, she equips audiences to think alongside its complexity. And to act with greater confidence because of it.

Alice Han studied at Harvard University and Stanford University. She has worked with Nicholas Burns and Niall Ferguson. Her award-winning research on Cold War Sino-French relations reflects a long-standing interest in how power is negotiated behind closed doors. She is fluent in Mandarin, French and German.