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Abstract From 17 to 19 may 2012, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and the Johannesburg-based Brenthurst Foundation co-hosted a major international dialogue on natural resource demand and China’s economy. held at the r oyal Zambezi Lodge on the Zambezi river in Zambia, the event brought together experts and policymakers from Africa, Australia, Latin America and elsewhere, including Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, and senior Australian members of parliament, Senator David Feeney and the hon Julie Bishop mP. Neither Africa, nor Australia, nor Latin America has much (if any) control over the future trajectory of China’s energy demand. In that sense, all resource-based economies reliant on exports to China are in the same boat. The end of the good times may not yet be nigh, but China’s current appetite for resources will eventually abate – and that could happen with cruel suddenness. This Dialogue examined countries that have used their natural resources wisely to develop their human capi - tal, build resilience and diversify their economies – and those that have not. it concluded that, to be able to withstand any downturn in Chinese demand, this latter group, comprised mainly of African countries, had better start paddling quickly, or the shock may be too much to bear. Four of the papers presented at the dialogue are reprinted in full here. Key highlights from the discussions are included in this Introduction and in the conclusion.