While reading Konrad Seitz’s book on China, I also looked up the one or other reference. One pointed towards work from Henry Kissinger, which also included a debate from 2011 on the question: “Will the 21st Century Belong to China?”.
I ordered the transcript and the talk is available online here: http://www.munkdebates.com/debates/china
About the munk debates:
“The semi-annual Debates were established in 2008 as a charitable initiative of the Aurea Foundation co-founders Peter and Melanie Munk. The Debates take place in Toronto in the evening in front of an audience of 3,000 people at Roy Thomson Hall. The Debates last approximately an hour and a half. Two panelists argue for a debate style motion and two against. The format is short opening statements followed by a civil and substantive moderated panel discussion, followed by short closing statements. Past participants include Henry Kissinger, Glenn Greenwald, Paul Krugman, Fareed Zakaria, Tony Blair, Christopher Hitchens and Larry Summers, among others. The Debates are broadcast throughout Canada by the CBC and across the continental United States on C-SPAN. The transcript of each debate is published as a book in Canada by House of Anansi Press and internationally.”
Overall, the debate gives a unique insight into how a diverse set of four “China shapers” think about it China and its future. These people give opinions politics and economy and their opinions are highly valued. It’s incredibly interesting to see opinions of well received individuals clash. The debate is only about two hours, so there is only an exchange on issues on the surface, but, still, it offers information available nowhere else.
It just strikes me as unresponsible to build a nation's future on statements such as "China's tank is still not empty" and "The Chinese people will at least double their efforts and have lots of things up their sleeves". It is just pure emotional speculation. I do not understand, yet, where David Li, one of the speakers, wants to go with this. I really don't know.
I ordered the transcript and the talk is available online here: http://www.munkdebates.com/debates/china
About the munk debates:
“The semi-annual Debates were established in 2008 as a charitable initiative of the Aurea Foundation co-founders Peter and Melanie Munk. The Debates take place in Toronto in the evening in front of an audience of 3,000 people at Roy Thomson Hall. The Debates last approximately an hour and a half. Two panelists argue for a debate style motion and two against. The format is short opening statements followed by a civil and substantive moderated panel discussion, followed by short closing statements. Past participants include Henry Kissinger, Glenn Greenwald, Paul Krugman, Fareed Zakaria, Tony Blair, Christopher Hitchens and Larry Summers, among others. The Debates are broadcast throughout Canada by the CBC and across the continental United States on C-SPAN. The transcript of each debate is published as a book in Canada by House of Anansi Press and internationally.”
Overall, the debate gives a unique insight into how a diverse set of four “China shapers” think about it China and its future. These people give opinions politics and economy and their opinions are highly valued. It’s incredibly interesting to see opinions of well received individuals clash. The debate is only about two hours, so there is only an exchange on issues on the surface, but, still, it offers information available nowhere else.
It just strikes me as unresponsible to build a nation's future on statements such as "China's tank is still not empty" and "The Chinese people will at least double their efforts and have lots of things up their sleeves". It is just pure emotional speculation. I do not understand, yet, where David Li, one of the speakers, wants to go with this. I really don't know.