CHINA’S REFORM IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Report on the 15th Annual Conference of the Association of Chinese Political Studies (ACPS)
The Association of Chinese Political Studies (ACPS) successfully convened its 15th annual conference at the College of Charleston, South Carolina on November 11-12, 2000. The two-day conference attracted around 40 participants from Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, and many states here in the United States. Among the participants were known scholars, university professors, think-tank research fellows, visiting scholars, journalists and graduate students. Dr. Guoli Liu (1999-2000 President of ACPS) and Dr. Weixing Chen (2001-2002 President of ACPS), chaired the opening ceremony. Dr. Samuel Hines, Dean of School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the College of Charleston, delivered a welcome address. Dr. Brantly Womack from University of Virginia delivered the keynote speech entitled “Does Size Matter? Problems of Asymmetry in International Relations.” More than 20 panelists delivered quality papers on China”s domestic issues and foreign policy.
The six panels dealt with many of the most important issues that China is facing at the beginning of the new millennium: political reform and election experiments, unresolved economic and social issues of the reform, cross-Taiwan strait relations, China and globalization, and theory and practice of international relations. This conference was a great success, not only because it resulted in the promotion of ACPS” mission of fostering the pursuit of the international and intercultural aspects of knowledge and understanding of China but also because it provided a forum and an opportunity at an important moment of history for China scholars who are concerned with China”s development to exchange ideas and for cooperation. Many participants were deeply impressed by the focus and depth of this conference.
This conference also elected a new ACPS Board of Directors. They include Drs. Weixing Chen (ACPS President, East Tennessee State University), Yang Zhong (ACPS President Elect, University of Tennessee), Mr. Gregory Moore (University of Denver), and John Fuh-sheng Hsieh (University of South Carolina). Drs. Guoli Liu, Weixing Chen, and ACPS Board of Directors and Academic Committee would like to take this opportunity to express sincere thanks to all speakers, panelists, discussants and participants for their interest, participation and support. The ACPS would also like to thank the College of Charleston for hosting this conference.
Finally, to speed up the process of publishing the conference papers, ACPS urges all panelists to send their papers as soon as possible to Drs. Guoli Liu and Weixing Chen.