China seeks to be a global power while preserving an essential Chineseness. Understandable in general terms, this stubborn national identity complex is mainly politically-driven. Outside actors need to understand the internal conversation that dominates and colours the formal positions over a range of national issues, most recently the college curriculum. The controversies need to be seen in the perspective of shifts in national self-perception since the late 19th century. But as well as history, the natural history of ‘values’ as aspects of the social order have to be sorted out.
About the speaker:
Concurrently a Visiting Professor at Peking University, Dr. David Kelly leads the governance and law, and geopolitics teams at China Policy, a Beijing based research and advisory company. His interests encompass a sweep of issues affecting China’s domestic reforms and its strategic positioning, with a particular interest in the external impact of China’s governance model. His more than thirty years research on China combined with his early IT training, created the ChinaBase, a bilingual research tool specialized for tracking China’s policy realm.
Dr. Kelly holds an honours degree in anthropology and philosophy and a PhD in Chinese studies from the University of Sydney. A sought-after international media commentator, he frequently appears on the BBC, Voice of America, Australian ABC, Al Jazeera and in leading print media.
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Sponsor: Centre for Chinese Research, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
By: Dr. David Kelly, Research Director, China Policy
Type: Seminar
