Conference: "Cooperation, Competition and Conflict in East Asia (15-16 February 2024) Hosted by the William & Mary Global Research Institute Security and Foreign Policy Initiative

 

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I am delighted to pass along information about an exciting upcoming conference:  "Cooperation, Competition and Conflict in East Asia." In will be held in person on 15-16 February 2024 at William & Mary. It is hosted by the Security & Foreign Policy Initiative of the William & Mary Global Research Institute, a "multidisciplinary hub that brings together academics, practitioners, and students to conduct applied research on pressing global issues."

This two-day in-person conference on Cooperation, Competition, and Conflict in East Asia examines the region’s rapidly evolving security dynamics and the appropriate role for the United States’ engagement therein. Conference panels will address questions about the security vulnerabilities generated by economic interdependence, the purported inevitability of conflict between the United States and China, and the historical insights that can be derived from decades of conflict and diplomatic interactions in the region, among other topics. The conference concludes with a discussion of current and future flash points for security and foreign policy in East Asia.

The Draft Conference Agenda with participants follows below. 

 

 

COOPERATION, COMPETITION, & CONFLICT IN EAST ASIA

February 15 and 16, 2024

Conference Agenda

The Security & Foreign Policy Initiative at William & Mary’s Global Research Institute supports a broad range of views on international security and US foreign policy through evidence-based assessments of the world and America’s place in it. We bring together academics, policy leaders, practitioners, and students to examine pressing security challenges and push past conventional thinking to identify new solutions. 

This two-day in-person conference on Cooperation, Competition, and Conflict in East Asia examines the region’s rapidly evolving security dynamics and the appropriate role for the United States’ engagement therein. Conference panels will address questions about the security vulnerabilities generated by economic interdependence, the purported inevitability of conflict between the United States and China, and the historical insights that can be derived from decades of conflict and diplomatic interactions in the region, among other topics. The conference concludes with a discussion of current and future flash points for security and foreign policy in East Asia. 

Hosted by the Global Research Institute, the conference will be held on the William & Mary campus in Williamsburg, VA. 

Thursday, February 15, 2024

8:00-8:30 Transportation from Williamsburg Lodge to W&M Alumni House

8:00-9:00 Breakfast at Alumni House (500 Richmond Road)

9:00-9:15 Opening Remarks of Conference

Michael Tierney, Director of the Global Research Institute and George & Mary Hylton Professor of International Relations, William & Mary

9:15 - 10:45 East Asian Security during the Cold War: Contemporary Implications

Moderator: Michael R. Auslin  (Hoover Institution, Stanford)

Questions: How does the legacy of the Cold War shape current security interactions in East Asia? Are we entering a potential second cold war in Asia? If so, what might that look like and how would it differ from the first Cold War?

     

Panelists: 

• Dayna Barnes  (National Defense University)

• Elizabeth Ingleson  (London School of Economics)

• Giuseppe Paparella  (William & Mary, GRI) 

• Sergey Radchenko  (Johns Hopkins, SAIS)

10:45 - 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 - 12:30 Geoeconomics and Interdependence in the Asia-Pacific

Moderator: Ammar Malik  (AidData)

Questions: How does economic interdependence in Asia enhance the opportunities for cooperation in the region or increase the chances of the weaponization of trade? What strategies can be adopted within the region to mitigate against the potential use of economic leverage in conflict?

Participants:

• Dale Copeland  (University of Virginia)

• Rohan Mukerjee  (London School of Economics)

• Audrye Wong  (University of Southern California)

• Jack Zhang  (University of Kansas)

12:30 - 1:30 Lunch

Lunch Briefing: Harboring Global Ambitions: China's Ports Footprint and Implications for Future Overseas Naval Bases

Speaker: Sheng Zhang  (AidData)

1:30 - 3:00  US-China Relations in the AI Age

 

Moderator: Margaret Hu  (William & Mary School of Law)

Participants:

• Jocelyn Aqua  (PricewaterhouseCoopers)

• Larry Catá Backer  (Penn State School of Law) 

• Samuel Bresnick  (CSET Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology)

3:00 - 4:30 Conference Break

3:00 Transportation to Williamsburg Lodge for Break

4:30 Transportation to Miller Hall for Keynote

5:00 - 7:00 Keynote Event with Reception

Miller Hall (101 Ukrop Way), Brinkley Commons Room (Upper Floor)

How Should the United States Respond to China’s Rise?

Over the past two decades, scholarship and public commentary have increasingly focused on the challenges that China’s rise could pose to U.S. national interests. But how, precisely, does China’s rise threaten those interests, and how should Washington respond? Our keynote speakers discuss the ways in which a more powerful China could undercut U.S. interests and assess the severity of the problem. Ultimately, a clear-eyed, balanced understanding of what observers sometimes call “the China challenge” is crucial for formulating an effective U.S. response.

Moderator: Shannon Tiezzi  (The Diplomat)

Speakers:

• Thomas J. Christensen  (Columbia University)

• Ali Wyne  (International Crisis Group) 

6:00-7:00 Keynote Event Reception with Student Research Showcase

7:00-7:30 Transportation to Dinner 

7:30-9:00 Participant Dinner at Alumni House

Friday, February 16, 2024

8:30-9:00 Transportation from Williamsburg Lodge to W&M Alumni House

8:30-9:30 Breakfast at Alumni House

9:30-11:00 The U.S.-Japan-South Korea Alliance: Balancing Acts in a Complex Theatre

Moderator: Marcus Holmes  (William & Mary)

Questions: How can the U.S.-Japan-ROK alliance evolve to effectively address emerging regional security and diplomatic challenges while maintaining its foundational principles and strengthening relationships with other key regional actors like ASEAN and Pacific Island states?

Participants:

• Mayumi Fukushima  (Harvard Kennedy School)

• Minseon Ku  (Dartmouth) 

• Kyuri Park  (William & Mary GRI) 

• Nicholas Wheeler  (University of Birmingham)

11:00 - 11:15 Coffee Break

11:15 - 12:45 Grand Strategy and US-China Cooperation and Competition

 

Moderator: Zack Cooper  (American Enterprise Institute) 

Questions: What are the ultimate strategic objectives of the United States and China? In what areas are these objectives compatible and in which are they conflictual? Are there any politically realistic steps the two sides could take to reverse the recent downturn in bilateral relations?

Participants:

• Joshua Byun  (Boston College) 

• Xiaoyu Pu  (University of Nevada - Reno) 

• Ketian Vivian Zhang  (George Mason University) 

12:45 - 2:00 Lunch 

2:00 - 3:00  Concluding Discussion: Unpacking Regional Flashpoints

Moderator: Jessica Trisko Darden  (William & Mary GRI)

Questions: Looking forward, what are likely to be the main flashpoints in East Asia from the perspective of the United States, China, and other regional actors? How is US engagement in East Asia likely to evolve in light of existing military and economic pressures elsewhere?

Participants:

• Kelly A. Grieco  (Stimson Center)

• Andrew Yeo  (Brookings Institution)

3:15 Shuttle to Williamsburg Lodge