SOAS

Abstract For decades, the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese state have operated a vast, intricate and highly successful system of science and technology transfer from overseas to “serve the country.” This has taken place by multiple means (以多种方式), as five state ministries spelled out in 2001 — in reality, a carte blanche for legal, illegal and grayzone activities that are difficult for targets to manage. These broad and deep activities have enabled China’s rise as a global power, to the point where it is challenging the countries whence it sourced technology for global leadership. For these activities are more than the sum of their parts; they are also a highly ideological way of interfacing with the world. This talk will present the findings of a recent book explaining how the system works - and why it is becoming an existential challenge to democracies. About the speaker Didi Kirsten Tatlow is senior fellow at the Asia Program at the German Council of Foreign Relations (DGAP) in Berlin, Germany, and a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at Projekt Sinopsis in Prague, Czechia. She researches, speaks and publishes widely on the political system of China, its impact on Europe, technology and worldwide transfer, democratic security, ideology, disinformation, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Indo-Pacific. In 2019, she began a series, “China-in-Germany,” examining the influence and interference activities of the Communist Party of China in Germany. She has co-edited and co-authored a book, China’s Quest for Foreign Technology: Beyond Espionage (2021). Tatlow worked as a reporter and columnist in Asia and Europe for 23 years including at the South China Morning Post, her hometown newspaper, and the New York Times from 2010 to 2017, the year she relocated to Berlin. She recently published a cover story for Newsweek magazine on the nature, tactics and scale of CCP influencing in the United States. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Tatlow holds a bachelor’s degree in Chinese and Politics from SOAS, University of London. Registration This webinar will take place online via Zoom. Click here to register. * The webinar will also be live-streamed on our Facebook page for those that are unable to participate via Zoom. Chair: Professor Steve Tsang (Director, SOAS China Institute) Organiser: SOAS China Institute Contact email: sci@soas.ac.uk

Abstract Although the motives for China’s development of the Belt and Road Initiative have been well studied, scholars have yet to examine why partner states seek to join in the first place. Professor Fravel will talk about his paper, which seeks to fill this gap by focusing on the memorandums of understanding (MOUs) that states sign with China to formally join BRI. Based on the analysis of these MOUs, it is argued that, overall, the costs for joining the BRI are low but the potential benefits are high. Thus, most states should join the BRI unless they view the costs as higher or the benefits as lower. Specifically, it suggests that democracies and states with close security ties to the United States should be less likely to join because they view joining a Chinese-led initiative as more costly. The statistical analysis using a new dataset of BRI MOUs and two paired case studies provide empirical support for this argument. About the speaker M. Taylor Fravel is the Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science and Director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Taylor studies international relations, with a focus on international security, China, and East Asia. His books include, Strong Borders, Secure Nation: Cooperation and Conflict in China’s Territorial Disputes, (Princeton University Press, 2008) and Active Defense: China's Military Strategy Since 1949 (Princeton University Press, 2019). His other publications have appeared in International Security, Foreign Affairs, Security Studies, International Studies Review, The China Quarterly, The Washington Quarterly, Journal of Strategic Studies, Armed Forces Society, Current History, Asian Survey, Asian Security, China Leadership Monitor, and Contemporary Southeast Asia. Taylor is a graduate of Middlebury College and Stanford University, where he received his PhD. He also has graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. In 2016, he was named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow by the Carnegie Corporation. Taylor is a member of the board of directors of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and serves as the Principal Investigator for the Maritime Awareness Project. Registration This webinar will take place online via Zoom. Click here to register. Chair: Professor Steve Tsang (Director, SOAS China Institute) Contact email: sci@soas.ac.uk

Contact email: ch12@soas.ac.uk

Abstract As the driest part of the planet, the Middle East never had much water to begin with. But a potent combination of climate shocks, rampant mismanagement, and increasing demand is pushing the region to the brink. Already, tens of millions of people have insufficient water. The ramifications of increasing thirst could be extreme. In this talk, Peter Schwartzstein will trade off years of environmental reporting across the Middle East to explore what a water crisis of this magnitude could mean for lives and livelihoods, while also delving into the potential implications for governance and regional stability. About the speaker Peter Schwartzstein is an environmental journalist and consultant, who works on water, food security, and conflict-climate issues across the Middle East, Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean. His writing mostly appears in National Geographic. He is also the journalist-in-residence at the Center for Climate and Security and a TED fellow. Registration This webinar will take place online via Zoom. Click here to register * The webinar will also be live-streamed on our Facebook page for those that are unable to participate via Zoom. Chair: Narguess Farzad (SOAS) and Dina Matar (SOAS) Organiser: SOAS Middle East Institute Contact email: smei@soas.ac.uk