China’s Leadership in Transition

At the 18th National Party Congress in November 2012, China underwent a momentous transition from the fourth to the fifth generation of Chinese Communist Party leadership. New members have entered China’s Central Committee, Politburo, and Politburo Standing Committee. These changes in the upper echelons of power in China’s leadership will be accompanied by massive personnel shifts within national agencies, including the military, and at the provincial and local levels. What is the difference between the fourth generation and the newly-established fifth generation of China’s leaders, including Xi Jinping as General Secretary and Li Keqiang as Premier? This panel will examine the various dimensions of China’s potential new policy directions.

China in Northeast Asia

China’s relations with its neighbors and regional actors in Northeast Asia are complex and multi-dimensional. This session will address these relations and China’s role in regional economic and security cooperation. How are China’s relations with its neighbors influenced by security concerns regarding North Korea? How are China’s relations in Northeast Asia influenced by historical factors, such as Japan’s wartime legacy in the region and China’s Northeast Project? What is China’s role in Northeast Asia? What is the new Chinese leadership’s vision for the region? How do US policymakers perceive China’s regional strategy? How might regional actors react to China’s evolving role in Northeast Asia? How will South Korea, China, and Japan employ the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat as a mechanism for policy coordination?

China and the US

In the wake of the recent leadership transitions in China and the United States, international society is carefully observing how leaders of the two countries will perceive each other’s policies in this era of China-US cooperation and competition. How do President Barack Obama and General-Secretary Xi Jinping perceive the state of international affairs? How might policymakers in the two countries develop mutual trust an effective partnership? During the US presidential election debates, US relations with China were given considerable focus on issues including trade, currency rates, US national debt, and economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. How will the competing visions for economic cooperation in East Asia—the Trans-Pacific Partnership and ASEAN Plus Three—affect Sino-American relations? To what extent can joint Sino-American efforts to secure the global commons—anti-terrorism, anti-piracy, etc.—form a basis for the advancement of Sino-American relations?

South Korea and China

2012 marks the twentieth anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea. During this time, the two countries have made great strides in their bilateral relations. This session will examine the political, economic, and social dimensions of these relations. It will also examine the challenges and potential obstacles to further progress. How can China and South Korea substantially consolidate a comprehensive strategic partnership? How can the two countries cooperate on issues pertaining to North Korea, including the issue of North Korean defectors? How will Chinese and South Korean relations with the United States impact ROK-China relations? How can China and South Korea prepare for the next twenty years of ROK-China relations?