China, Science, and Technology:
Advancing Geopolitical Aims

featuring
Charles Parton
Senior Associate Fellow
Royal United Services Institute, the Council on Geostrategy, and
MERICS in Berlin

Speaker’s summary:
The CCP is clear that it is engaged in a struggle with the leading developed countries to dominate science and certain technologies. This is the most important dimension of ‘systemic competition’. It aims to leverage science and technology to achieve its geopolitical aims. This talk will address the following questions:
1. Are the CCP’s scientific and technological objectives a threat? 
2. What are the dangers of allowing technology to flow to and from the PRC? 
3. How can free and open countries mitigate the threat while working with the CCP on other issues where there may be shared interests?

1. Are the CCP’s scientific and technological objectives a threat? 
2. What are the dangers of allowing technology to flow to and from the PRC? 
3. How can free and open countries mitigate the threat while working with the CCP on other issues where there may be shared interests?

Speaker’s Bio:
Charles Parton spent 22 years of his 37 year diplomatic career working in or on China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In his final posting, he was seconded to the EU Delegation in Beijing, where, as First Counsellor until late 2016, he focussed on Chinese politics and internal developments, and advised the EU and Member States on how China’s politics might affect their interests. In 2017 he returned to Beijing for four months as Adviser to the British Embassy to cover the CCP’s 19th Congress.

He is a senior associate fellow of three think tanks, the Royal United Services Institute, the Council on Geostrategy, and MERICS in Berlin. He was a Specialist Adviser on China to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee for its 2018-19 China Inquiries.

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The views expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions. Affairs

The China Seminar was founded by Dr. Daniel W.Y. Kwok in 1977. Under his guidance, it became a signature program of the Friends of the East-West Center (FEWC) in 2009. The program provides an informal venue for China experts, such as scholars, diplomats, and journalists, to present talks on aspects of China that interest the community and members of the Friends. Topics include politics, economics, social issues, history, culture, food, arts, and many other subjects.