Pardee School Faculty Discuss China’s Global Impact During “Research on Tap” Event
On February 27, 2023, Boston University’s Office of Research hosted a “Research on Tap” event – “China and the World” – which provided a holistic exploration of Chinese globalization and the country’s global impact.
Co-sponsored by the Global Development Policy Center (GDP Center) and the Center for the Study of Asia, this “Research on Tap” convened BU faculty and researchers from across schools and disciplines. Through a series of individual presentations on a wide range of topics, the suite of experts expanded BU’s reservoir of knowledge on China and helped inform research and teaching on China at global and local dimensions.
The event featured remarks by three faculty from BU’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies: Jorge Heine, Research Professor and Interim Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future; Mark Storella, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and Director of the African Studies Center; and Min Ye, Professor of International Relations, who also co-hosted the event.
Ye’s presentation, titled “Variety of State Intervention: Industrial Policies in Electric Vehicles in China, Japan, and India,” explored the major shift in electrical vehicle adoption, production, and exportation in China compared to Japan and India that has taken place over the past decade. Specifically, she discussed the role of both private actors and state intervention in promoting growth in the countries’ EV industries. A recording of Ye’s remarks can be viewed below.
In Storella’s presentation, titled “China’s Role in Global Health after COVID,” he discussed where China’s role in global health is going and its origins. Storella broke down the three distinct eras of China’s global health policy – starting from 1971 when it joined the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO) to the COVID-19 pandemic – and how the country’s efforts have evolved. While he could not offer a definitive outlook on China’s global health engagement, Storella argued that the future of global health will depend on how the country leans on key issues. A recording of Storella’s remarks can be viewed below.
Heine’s presentation explored what it is that brings China and Latin America together as well as the impact of this close-knit partnership. Heine points out that at the heart of this bilateral relationship is China’s economic activity in Latin America; between its trade, foreign direct investment, and bank loans, China has a major economic interest in the region. While some posit that the interactions between China and Latin America are manufactured by China, Heine pointed out that in looking at the region’s buy-in to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), you can see that Latin America has often sought engagement with China on many levels and a study of this interaction can tell a lot about China’s engagement with the rest of the world. A recording of Heine’s remarks can be viewed below.
Visit the Office of Research’s website to learn more about their “Research on Tap” series.