Call for Presentations: Conference on China after COVID-19 and a Changing World Order

DIIS and Aarhus University invite proposals for presentations at the Conference on China after COVID-19 and a Changing World Order to be held on 26 November at DIIS Auditorium. It is the second in a series of conferences addressing China affairs from Danish and European perspectives. The conference gathers researchers and postgraduate students in Denmark to share their China-related expertise, debate important issues, and discuss the implications for Denmark and beyond.

As the world gradually emerges from the health and economic crises brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is time to reflect on one of the major actors in world affairs – China. We are standing at a historic juncture, where China’s domestic developments and its relations with other countries will have long-term impacts on world peace and development.

Domestically, China is facing many challenges on the way of pursuing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. Economic restructuring for improving efficiency and sustainability, technological advancement, the relationship between the public and private sectors, regional and societal inequality, an ageing society, and Party-society relations in the age of diversity and digitalisation are all major issues that China needs to tackle. As the Chinese Communist Party reaches its 100th anniversary and Xi Jinping is nearing the end of his second five-year term, how China handles its domestic challenges will have deep repercussions both at home and abroad.

Internationally, there is a widespread feeling of uncertainty with the rise of China and the changing world order. China will become the first largest economy in the world with a non-democratic political system and non-Western culture in the modern history of sovereign states. Its Belt and Road Initiative has expanded far beyond the ancient Silk Road routes to become a global development programme, which some fear challenges the existing world order. China under Xi Jinping’s leadership is conducting a more confident and assertive foreign policy than the previous three decades, and relations between China and the West have worsened over the issues of Hong Kong, Xinjiang and South China Sea. The rivalry between the US and China and their trade, technology and ideological wars seem to increasingly drag the other countries into a major conflict and force them to pick a side. Smaller powers need to navigate a thorny and moving landscape. Yet global challenges like the environment crisis, pandemics, nuclear safety, poverty and inequality can only be met by cooperation. Not only great powers but also smaller powers have important roles to play in determining the future of the globe.

We are pleased and honoured to have invited Professor Vivienne Shue to deliver an online keynote speech titled "Re-imagining China (and China Studies) in the Post Post-Cold War". Professor Shue is a renowned scholar in Chinese politics and society, and she is Emeritus Professor of Contemporary China Studies and an Associate of University of Oxford China Centre.

We invite proposals for presentations that contribute to discussions of the above themes. We will organise the conference into the panels below. Please indicate which panel you would like to submit the proposal to, and we will try to accommodate your preference if the presentation is accepted.

1. China’s domestic politics and governance
2. Social, cultural and demographic changes
3. Environmental sustainability and climate governance
4. Economic development and restructuring
5. The politics and social impacts of technology
6. Foreign policy, international and transnational relations
7. International development cooperation
8. The role of history, religion and culture in contemporary China affairs

Time frame: Deadline for submitting proposals: 30 September
Decision on accepted proposals and a conference programme: 15 October

Please send a proposal of 250 words including a title of the presentation and a short personal biography to: Ms Emma Katarina Andersen: emka@diis.dk

The conference will be held on-site at DIIS Auditorium at 10:00-17:00 on 26 November and open to the public. Participation is free but registration is needed. We will open for registration when we have a programme.

The Conference Organising Committee:

• Yang Jiang (Senior Researcher), DIIS
• Mette Thunø (Associate Professor), Aarhus University
• Yi Ma (Postdoc Researcher), Jørgen Delman (Professor Emeritus), University of Copenhagen
• Kjeld Erik Brødsgaard (Professor), Copenhagen Business School
• Xing Li (Professor), Aalborg University