Tuesday, February 9, 2021 For a recording of this webinar, click here.
In recent decades, the Pacific basin has been transformed by unprecedented economic growth, driven in significant measure by globalization, low wage production, growing economic inequality, repressive labor laws, and disregard for the environment.
The world’s two largest economies, China and the United States, are competing for primacy in the Indo-Pacific region and in the global economy. China is seeking to extend its economic reach through efforts like the Belt and Road initiative for development and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership for trade.
These dynamics have given rise to a U.S.-Chinese trade war and to other efforts by the U.S. to counter China’s growing influence, such as strengthened economic and military ties with long-time allies Japan, Australia, and Japan and also with India, the other rising major power in the region. Beginning during the Obama administration, the U.S. military has shifted forces to the Pacific, and has shifted its arms development efforts to focus once more on weapons suited to confront other nuclear-armed great powers such as China. The effects of the global pandemic have intensified these already unstable dynamics.
The newly launched Asia-Pacific Working Group will host a webinar providing background and analysis about the political economy of the Asia/Indo-Pacific region.
Featured speakers will be:
- Walden Bello, Focus on Global South & University of the Philippines
- Juliet Lu, Cornell University
- Achin Vanaik, Transnational Institute and University of Delhi (ret)
