“China as a World Power”

“China as a World Power” Wednesday, October 9; 2013: 6.00 – 7.00 pm. WWF Auditorium, 172-B, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi

Never before in the history of the world has any country amassed power as quickly as China has, over the past quarter century. What were the key steps in the accumulation of this power, both economic and military, and what role did other countries, such as the United States, play in China's rise? What are the key issues facing other countries now as they try to cope with China?  Will China be able to continue its steady rise, or will a host of new economic and social problems threaten its economic growth? Chinese workers are growing increasingly unhappy with low wages and poor treatment of urban migrants. Meanwhile, there seems to be growing discontent among middle-class Chinese over air pollution, internet censorship and tainted food and water. Will the Chinese regime be able to hold things together? Aspen Institute India invites you to an interaction with Mr James Mann, author-in-residence at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, to answer and also share his perspectives on the above set of questions. Mr. Mann is spending two months as the Avantha Senior Fellow at Aspen Institute India. The session will be Chaired by Mr Shyam Saran, Chairman, National Security Advisory Board & Former Foreign Secretary of India. Participation is restricted and will be by prior registration only. Registration begins at 5.30 pm.

WHEN Wednesday, October 9, 2013 6:00 PM  - 7:00 PM      WHEREWWF Auditorium, 172-B, Lodhi EstateNew Delhi – 110003      RSVPWednesday, October 9, 2013 by 10:00 AM

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James Mann – Author-in-residence at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and Avantha Senior Fellow at Aspen India James Mann is a Washington-based author who has written a series of award-winning books about American foreign policy and about China. He is a former newspaper reporter, foreign correspondent and columnist who wrote for more than twenty years for the Los Angeles Times. His work was awarded the Edward Weintal Prize in 1999 for distinguished career-long coverage of foreign policy. He is now an author-in-residence at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Mann’s best-known work is Rise of the Vulcans: A History of Bush’s War Cabinet. Published in 2004, the book became a New York Times best-seller. Another of Mann’s books is The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan, which re-examines the role Ronald Reagan played in the end of the Cold War. The book won the 2010 Ambassador Book Award of the English-Speaking Union of the United States. His latest book is The Obamians: The Struggle Inside The White House to Redefine American Power (2012) Mann, a former Beijing correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, has also written three books about America’s relationship with China. The first, Beijing Jeep, is the story of a single American company and its frustrations starting to do business in China. Fortune magazine book placed the book on its list of 75 all-time greatest books for business executives to read. The second, About Face: A History of America’s Curious Relationship with China, From Nixon to Clinton, narrates the history of America’s diplomacy with China, starting in the late 1960s. The book won the New York Public Library’s Helen Bernstein award for best book of the year (2000). The third book, The China Fantasy, is a critique of the notion that trade will lead to democracy in China. It was listed by The Washington Post’s Book World as one of the best books of the year (2007). Mann graduated from Harvard College and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.   Shyam Saran – Chairman, National Security Advisory Board & Former Foreign Secretary of India Shyam Saran is a career diplomat and is currently Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board.  Since joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1970, he has served in Beijing, Tokyo and Geneva.  He has been India’s Ambassador to Myanmar, Indonesia and Nepal and High Commissioner to Mauritius. In the Ministry of External Affairs, Shyam Saran headed the Economic Division and the Multilateral Economic Division and also headed the East Asia Division which handles relations with China and Japan.  As a Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office in 1991/92, he advised the Prime Minister on foreign policy, nuclear and defence related issues. Saran was appointed India’s Foreign Secretary in 2004 and he held that position till his retirement in September 2006. Subsequently, he was appointed Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Indo-US civil nuclear issues and later as Special Envoy and Chief Negotiator on Climate Change. Shyam Saran is also Co-Chair on the Indian side on the India-Asean Eminent Persons’ Group.  Saran also serves as Chairman, Research and Information System for Developing Countries. He speaks and writes regularly on a variety of  subjects. He is currently serving as an Independent Director on the Boards of Wipro, ONGC (Videsh) and Indian Oil respectively. He is a member, Board of Trustees of World Wildlife Fund (India). In 2011, Shyam Saran was awarded the Padma Bhushan.