Event Summary
In the second of four installments of their "Election 2012: The National Security Agenda" event series, AEI, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and the New America Foundation (NAF) joined last Wednesday to host a discussion on the rise of the Pacific region and what it portends for American foreign policy. The panel discussion was moderated by NAF's Peter Bergen and livestreamed by the series' media partner, CNN.com.
Robert Kaplan of the Center for a New American Security discussed the growing importance of the Asia-Pacific region demographically and economically. Kaplan noted that globalization, and the increasingly tight-knit "super-region" of the Indo-Pacific, are facilitated by American naval and air power.
Tom Donnelly of AEI discussed conceptions within the United States of the nature of China's rise and relationship with the U.S., outlining the reaction that U.S. leaders have had to recent Chinese behavior. Steve Coll of NAF raised the issue of the incongruity between the global web of commerce and Beijing's apparently more mercantilist approach to international trade and relations.
Patrick Cronin of CNAS emphasized the importance of the China issue in the presidential election, calling for the candidates to describe their vision of China "in the round" amid complex and shifting geopolitical dynamics.
-- Richard Cleary
Event Description
In a unique collaboration, the American Enterprise Institute, the Center for a New American Security and the New America Foundation are pleased to invite you to the next event in the "Election 2012: The National Security Agenda" series in this presidential campaign season. On April 18, the three organizations will be continuing the series of four events aimed at illuminating U.S. foreign and defense policy issues central to the 2012 presidential election. RSVPs are now open for the second seminar, which will explore America's foreign policy relationship with new economic powerhouses in East Asia.
"Election 2012: Informing the National Security Agenda" was launched on March 15 with a kickoff discussion on America's role in the world and the strategies this might suggest for the elected commander in chief. Future events will focus on the national security budget and relations with the greater Middle East.
