From September 22 to September 23, the United States (US) Association of Chinese Political Studies (ACPS) and the US San Francisco State University (SFSU) Center for US-China Policy Studies (CUSCPS) held an international conference entitled “China’s New Leadership and its Domestic and International Challenges” at the SFSU Seven Hills Conference Center.
This timely and stimulating conference attracted around 45 participants from three continents. Presentations were given by academics, doctoral candidates, and researchers associated with international organizations, research centers, and universities based in the Chinese mainland, Germany, the Philippines, Portugal, the US, and the United Kingdom. Foreign policy oriented papers covered a variety of topics as China’s Investment Corporation, Cross-Strait Relations, Shifting Principles of Chinese Foreign Policy, Competitive Regionalism, and the Domestic Context of China’s South China Sea claims. Domestic politics oriented presentations tackled issues such as China and the Middle-Income Trap, China’s leadership succession, the political dynamics of privatization in China, policing in China, and Citizen News in China.
At the ACPS annual meeting business meeting, four new ACPS officers were elected: President elect–LIANG Wei (梁微), Monterey Institute of International Studies; Research Director–Steven Balla (George Washington University); Membership Director—ZHANG Ning (张宁), California Polytechnic State University; and Publicity Director—ZHANG Wanfa (张万发), Florida Institute of Technology. Business meeting participants also approved an amendment of the bylaws to extend the term of editor-in-chief of the ACPS’s Journal of Chinese Political Science (JCPS) from three to four years. The Board appointed Dr. GUO Sujian (郭苏建) as JCPS editor-in-chief for another four-year term, effective October 1, 2012.
Outgoing ACPS President Jean-Marc F. Blanchard (白永辉) and SFSU CUSCPS Director GUO Sujian gave opening remarks for the conference. At the conference banquet on September 22, Dr. HU Wei (胡伟), Distinguished Professor and Founding Dean of the School of International and Public Affairs, Shanghai Jiaotong University, gave a keynote speech addressing the domestic political situation in China.
At the conference closing on Sunday, October 23, outgoing ACPS President Blanchard expressed his appreciation to the CUSCPS, the SFSU College of Liberal and Creative Arts, and SFSU student volunteers for their support and contribution to a smooth and successful conference. Incoming ACPS President John James Kennedy introduced the new board of the ACPS and his ideas for future ACPS workshops and conferences.
Respectfully yours,
Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, Ph.D.
Outgoing ACPS President