Asia’s successful development since World War Two owes much to the prioritisation of economic growth over national security. China was a latecomer to this economics-first model but was an eager convert from the 1980s. Today, however, national security considerations once again dominate Chinese leadership thinking and actions. This has seen the emergence of a techno-security state under Xi Jinping’s rule that is locked in an increasingly fierce competition with the United States and its allies. From chip foundries in Taiwan to the AUKUS alliance, the Asia-Pacific region is on the frontline of this global techno-security Cold War. Join us as Professor Tai Ming Cheung examines the nature and evolution of the Chinese techno-security state since the early 2010s, assesses the current techno-security competition between the United States and China and the long-term prospects, and considers the geo-strategic and geo-economic implications for the Asia-Pacific region.
This event is organised by Yale-NUS College, in partnership with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, and supported by the Tan Chin Tuan Chinese Culture & Civilisation Programme.
About the speaker
Professor Tai Ming Cheung
Professor and Director, University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Diego
Tai Ming Cheung is director of the University of California-wide Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, and a Professor in the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego. His areas of research focus include China’s efforts to become a world-class science and technology power, and the relationship between geo-economics, innovation, and national security. His latest book is Innovate to Dominate: The Rise of the Chinese Techno-Security State (Cornell University Press, 2022). He has a PhD in War Studies from King’s College, London.
About the moderator
Associate Professor Chin-Hao Huang
Associate Professor of Social Sciences (Political Science), and Head of Studies, Global Affairs, Yale-NUS College
Chin-Hao Huang is Associate Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore, with appointments in both the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Yale-NUS College. He serves as co-chair of the International Affairs programme at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and is also the Head of Studies for Global Affairs at Yale-NUS. He is the author of three books, including, most recently, Power and Restraint in China’s Rise (Columbia, 2022), which received Honorable Mention for the T.V. Paul Best Book in Global International Relations. His research has been published in leading disciplinary journals such as International Organization, Perspectives on Politics, Foreign Policy Analysis, and The China Quarterly among others and he has testified on China’s foreign and security policy before the US Congress. He has also served as a consultant for US and European foundations, governments, and companies on their strategies and policies in Asia. His work has been featured in media outlets such as BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC Asia, Financial Times, and TIME. He received his B.S. with honours from Georgetown University and PhD in political science from the University of Southern California.
