U.S.-China Workshop: China’s Belt and Road Initiative and U.S. Grand Strategy

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 AT 7PM
FREE ADMISSION

In 2013, President Xi Jinping launched “The Belt and Road Initiative” a 21st Century vision of its ancient silk road trade routes. Its stated objective is to integrate China’s growing economy through the global economic system.

Through its various infrastructure projects, BRI runs through the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa investing trillions in railroads, ports, pipelines, fiber-optic cables, satellites and internet connectivity.

As a consequence of China’s vision for global economic expansion, Chinese companies now have a controlling stake in 76 ports in 35 countries across the world. To protect its vast interests, China has also expanded its global security presence.

How does the BRI conform with China’s geopolitical ambitions? What does it mean for America’s interests and security?

Speakers

David M. (“Mike”) Lampton is the Oksenberg-Rohlen Fellow at FSI and affiliated with Shorenstein APARC. Lampton (BA ’68, MA ’71, PhD ’74), an expert in Chinese politics and U.S.-China relations, is the Hyman Professor of China Studies and Director of the China Studies Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Emeritus. Over the course of his career, Lampton accompanied American public and private sector leaders to China, and Chinese leaders to the United States. Formerly President of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, Lampton consults with government, business, and social sector organizations, and has served on the boards of several non-governmental and educational organizations, including the Asia Foundation for which he served as chairman. He is the author of a dozen books and monographs. Lampton’s current book project is focused on the development of high-speed railways from southern China to Singapore.

Jonathan Hillman is a senior fellow with the CSIS Simon Chair in Political Economy and director of the Reconnecting Asia Project. At CSIS, he leads an effort to map and analyze new roads, railways, ports, and other infrastructure emerging across the supercontinent of Eurasia. Prior to joining CSIS, he served as a policy adviser at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, where he directed the research and writing process for essays, speeches, and other materials explaining U.S. trade and investment policy. At USTR, he contributed to the 2015 U.S. National Security Strategy, the President’s Trade Agenda, and numerous Congressional testimonies.

Click Here to Register.

Top Photo: Xi Jinping (Bloomberg).