Harrisonburg, Virginia
2018
On October 11-12, the Association of Chinese Political Studies (ACPS), along with James Madison University (JMU), hosted ACPS’s 31st annual meeting and international symposium. The conference theme was “Changing Governance: Political Recentralization, Economic Reform, and Global Rise.”
The conference was attended by more than 50 participants from many different institutions across 12 countries and regions, including the U.S., China, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, South Korea, and Japan. The 10 research panels covered a vast array of issues related to Chinese political studies. International relations-focused papers comprised of such topics as Chinese Economic Diplomacy and International Aid; Regional Security; South China Sea Disputes; U.S.-China Relations; The One Belt One Road initiative (OBOR); and The Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB). Domestic politics-oriented presentations included National and Local Governance Challenges; Urbanization and Migration, Environmental Governance; and Policy Innovation and Implementation.
The October 11 opening ceremony was facilitated by ACPS president, Dr. Yi Edward Yang. JMU Senior Vice President and Provost, Dr. Heather Coltman delivered welcome remarks. The conference featured three keynote speakers: Mr. Robert Daly, Director of Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Wilson Center; Dr. Bruce Dickson, Professor of Political Science at George Washington University; and Mr. WU Si, renowned scholar and public intellectual from China. Their speeches covered U.S.-China relations, China’s recent political development, and the features of China’s contemporary polity respectively.
The ACPS business meeting was held on the afternoon of Oct. 11. During the meeting, ACPS president Yi Edward Yang gave a summarizing review of the ACPS’s accomplishments during the most recent two year. ACPS president-elect, Dr. Jessica Teets discussed her plan for ACPS activities in 2018-2020. Finally, ACPS members elected the new ACPS board for the 2018-2020 term.