Robert Worden, director of the Federal Research Division at the Library of Congress, will moderate a panel discussion on “China in Transition: Will Economic Reform Lead to Democracy in China?” beginning at 1:30 p.m. today in Room LJ119 of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building.

During the two-hour discussion, experts will address the repercussions of Chinese economic reforms, issues confronting the new Chinese leadership and challenges to China’s single-party system.

Panelists include professor Bruce Dickson of George Washington University, Minxin Pei, co-director of the China Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Lanxin Xiang, the Library’s Henry Alfred Kissinger chair in foreign policy and international relations, and Quansheng Zhao of both Harvard and American universities.

Jointly presented by the Kluge Center and the Library’s Asian, Science, Technology and Business divisions, the event is free and open to the public.

— Bree Hocking