Mr. James X. Zhan

Mr. James X. Zhan is Chairman of the WIC Executive Board of WAIPA; Chief Advisor to the Chairman of the World Free Zones Organization; Senior Fellow associated with Chatham House; and a member of the Financial Times’ fDi Editorial Advisory Board. Dr. Zhan served for 15 years as Director of Investment and Enterprise at the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and subsequently as Chief Advisor to the Secretary‑General. He was Lead Author of the UN World Investment Report, and led the establishment of the UNCTAD World Investment Forum. He was the Founding Chairman of both the UN Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative, and the Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones. He currently serves on advisory boards of academic centres at Oxford University, Columbia University, and Fribourg University. He was a Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University. He has authored more than 100 academic articles and book chapters, and led numerous UN reports and publications. Dr. Zhan has advised government leaders and business executives in over 130 countries on trade, investment, business strategy, global value chains, industrial policy, and sustainable development. He has contributed to major international initiatives and policy frameworks across multiple global forums, including the G20 and BRICS.