Professor Drysdale addresses members and guests on “China, a power arisen in the region and globally: consequences for Australia, Japan and the US”.

While the dominant concerns of today’s Chinese political leaders are domestic, focused on China’s economic and social transformation and ensuring a harmonious society, they are acutely aware of issues that threaten this vision, such as unemployment, environment, dissatisfaction among minorities, and nationalism among China’s youth. These challenges seem to recommend that China adopt a low posture on the global stage and concentrate on dealing with its considerable domestic problems.

But as a great power already, China’s impact on global affairs causes such feedback effects on its own development ambitions that it must now deal with its global role as a priority and we must help it to succeed.
Professor Drysdale’s FCA luncheon address follows a three-week visit to China, Japan and the United States in April, 2010.