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FOREIGN POLICY SEMINAR

THE FAR EAST - A Political-Economic Conflict Seminar

February 28-March 2, 2006

Few political changes going on in the world are more important than those taking place in China, as it transforms itself from a largely agrarian to an industrial economy. The investment share of China's gross domestic product is now approaching 45 percent and the economy continues to grow between 7 and 9 percent each year. Concurrently, Beijing has undertaken a vigorous trade and diplomatic offensive in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Last year, China purchased $100 billion of U.S. government securities to support exchange rate stability - and to finance American public debt. From any point of view, China has become a critical world player whose role will only increase in the future.

Although the Japanese economy has been characterized by slow, sometimes stagnant, growth in recent years, it remains a dominant economic player and is also showing signs of a more aggressive regional and global political posture. If Japan is reviving its economic growth and asserting its political role and China is emerging as the great "on-coming" power of the 21st Century, there are flash points in Asia that could embroil both of these two Asian powers and, inevitably, the United States.

The United States formally recognizes "one China," but it insists that any resolution of the division between Taiwan and Beijing must be peaceful. Despite growing economic ties between the two, the political distance between them is profound. Military threats from China and talk of independence in Taiwan could lead to miscalculation that would present the United States with an unenviable choice. The continuing pursuit of nuclear power in North Korea and the "predictably erratic" behavior of its regime further complicate the Asian security situation to the point where any conflict could have far-reaching global implications.

SPEAKERS & TOPICS

Modern Japan: Its Alliance with the United States, Relations With Its Neighbors, and Changing International Role
L. Gordon Flake, Executive Director, Mansfield Foundation; Former Director, Program on Conflict Resolution, The Atlantic Council of the United States

Asian Demographics: What We learn from the Numbers
Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Scholar in Political Economy, American Enterprise Institute; Author of The End of North Korea

Confronting Terrorism at the Community Level in Asia
Al Santoli, President, Asia America Initiative; Author of Everything We Had: An Oral History of the Vietnam War; Radio and Television News Commentator

Japan's Changing Role in Regional and International Security
Yoshihisa Komori, Editor-at-Large, Washington DC, Sankei-Shimbun Newspaper; Author of Japan and China: Illusion of Friendship

What Military Threat Does China Pose?
Richard D. Fisher, Jr., Vice President and Director, Project on Asian Security and Democracy International Assessment and Strategy Center

Dealing with Taiwan: How to Achieve America's Interests
Therese Shaheen, Co-founder & Chairman, U.S. Asia Strongbow Technologies Corp.; Former Chairman, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT)

Dealing with the Peoples Republic of China:
How to Achieve America's Interests Ambassador James R. Lilley, Former U.S. Ambassador to China and Korea; Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

What Economic Threat Does China Pose?
Larry Wortzel, Director, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation; Former Assistant Army Attaché, U.S. Embassy in China

The Six Most Important Things the Navy Needs to Know About Asia
Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt, USN (Retired), Director, Center for Strategic Studies, CNA Corporation; Former Director, East Asia Policy Office for SECDEF under President George H. W. Bush

North Korea's Illegal Activities: What Can We Do?
David Asher, Former Associate Director of Asian Studies, American Enterprise Institute; Radio and Television News Commentator

Vietnam: Thirty Years Later
Colonel William H. Jordan, USA (Retired), Vietnam Veteran, Former Principal Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs

Presidential Foreign Policymaking: The Bush Style
Stephen Wayne, Professor of Government, Georgetown University; Author of Presidential Leadership and The Road to the White House 2004

ABOUT ALAN L. FREED ASSOCIATES

Alan L. Freed Associates specializes in the design and development of non-partisan Public Policy Seminars for senior managers and executives of the federal government. Through a series of high-level, off-the-record presentations, these seminars provide attendees with an understanding of the fast-paced political, policy, and procedural developments that affect their careers and the mission of their Agency.

In 1976, Alan L. Freed Associates founded and developed the original Capitol Hill Workshop and White House Workshop. Alan L. Freed Associates has designed and conducted more than 800 executive-level public policy seminars in Washington, DC. In addition, Alan L. Freed Associates has presented over 100 public policy seminars at various military bases around the United States. Over 500 "Washington Insiders" have made presentations in the past 30 years. These public policy seminars are a widely recognized and highly respected component of leadership training and executive development in the federal government.

If you are interested in a custom Public Policy Seminar at your installation, please contact us. All seminars will be designed to address global issues of specific interest to participants at the time of the seminar.

Alan L. Freed Associates is affiliated with the Federal Executive Institute Alumni Association (FEIAA), a nonprofit organization which is dedicated to the continuing education of the federal executive.