Experts on U.S.-Chinese Relations to Speak Nov. 16 at U.Va.

November 1, 2011 — The Asia Institute in the University of Virginia's College of Arts & Sciences will host a pair of experts in U.S.-Chinese economic relations on Nov. 16 as part of "China Town Hall," a national day of programming on China.

The event features Zbigniew Brzezinski, a former national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter, and Nicholas R. Lardy, an expert on the Chinese economy and the Anthony M. Solomon Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

It starts at 6:30 p.m. in 101 Nau Hall and is free and open to the public. Brzezinski will appear via live webcast, with an introduction by Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

Brzezinski served as national security adviser in the late 1970s as U.S.-Chinese relations came to the forefront, and is able to provide context to a relationship that is more complicated than suggested by the popular image of an emergent China holding increasing amounts of U.S. debt, said A. Rachel Stauffer, the Asia Institute's outreach coordinator.

"We wanted someone who could talk about economy and the economics of why it's important for us to be involved with China, and what the consequences are of that involvement," she said. "One of the things that most people know about China is that we owe them money. It's important to clarify that idea so people understand that the relationship that we have with them is complex and ever-changing, and that's the way it's always been."

After the webcast, Lardy will participate in an audience Q&A hosted by Brantly Womack, the Hugh S. & Winifred B. Cumming Memorial Professor of International Affairs in the Department of Politics. Charles Laughlin, the Ellen Bayard Weedon Professor of East Asian Studies and director of the U.Va. East Asia Center, also will provide remarks.

Lardy, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, is a former senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the author of numerous articles and books on the Chinese economy. His most recent books include "The Future of China's Exchange Rate Policy" (2009) and "China's Rise: Challenges and Opportunities" (2008).


China Town Hall is a national day of programming on China involving about 50 cities through the U.S., organized by the National Committee for U.S.-China Relations. The Asia Institute event is cosponsored by Mary Baldwin College, with support from the East Asia Center, the U.Va. Center for International Studies, the Curry School of Education and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

— By Rob Seal




Media Contact

Rob Seal

School of Continuing and Professional Studies