More than 50 professors with expertise in Chinese politics gathered at Duke University to discuss China’s growing role as a world power. Scholars of Chinese domestic politics and international relations sought to understand the strengths and weaknesses in their collective knowledge and assess how they might better connect and develop their expertise in the service of public discourse and public policy.
What does it mean to get China right? On December 6-7, more than 50 professors of Chinese politics from nearly 40 institutions convened at Duke University to consider this question.
As China has grown in power and stature as the second largest economy in the world, a dominant trading partner, and a world power, its interests have also grown global. Many issues of Chinese domestic politics are now also truly issues of global politics. In today’s politically charged atmosphere, the need for rigorous, objective, and engaged scholarship is more critical than ever.
The Getting China Right: China in the World conference brought together professors across generations and a broad spectrum of substantive expertise in Chinese politics to forge a connection between scholars of domestic politics and international relations. Such a dialogue occurs rarely, but negative and dangerous responses to China’s growing global role require the two communities to better understand strengths and weaknesses in collective knowledge. The conference endeavored to connect scholarly knowledge about Chinese politics with the public discourse and public policy, so as to develop the appropriate expertise and capacity to bring evidence and perspective to bear on important questions about China and its role as a new global power.
