Richard R. Vuylsteke

China’s Expansion of Soft and Sharp Power in the Pacific Islands

China Seminar is very privileged to have Dr. Vuylsteke to open our school year in each of the last three years. His talk always sets a great start for the sessions to follow. With China’s increasing presence in international arenas, Dr. Vuylsteke will provide an assessment of the practical and strategic impact of China’s increasing role in the Pacific Islands. Dr. Richard Vuylsteke is the President of the East-West Center. His former positions include president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Taipei; editor-in-chief of the Taiwan Review; area studies coordinator at the Chinese Language and Area Studies (CLASS) Foreign Service Institute school in Taipei; research fellow in East Asian Legal Studies at Harvard Law School; as well as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Rajasthan, India.

Update: China’s Belt & Road Initiative

China’s massive infrastructure plans in its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have become increasingly global, now including new “roads” through the Arctic and to the South Pacific. At the same time, an increasing number of concerns about the scope and methods of the BRI have caused many nations to rethink the terms of their participation. This presentation will discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of the initiative, and what to watch more closely in the near future.

Megalopolis Powerhouse in the Making – South China’s Big Bay Area

The construction of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Big Bay Area has tremendous significance for South China’s economic development. The emerging connectivity in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) by road, rail, and waterways is setting the scene for the emergence of a unique megalopolis – an economic, intellectual, and innovative powerhouse unmatched elsewhere. The Big Bay Area is where the action is as China develops innovative service industries, advanced manufacturing, international brands with plenty of “foreign direct expertise” investment in the region.