UW News

April 15, 2010

Author to speak on China’s role in the 21st century April 20

Jeffrey Wasserstrom of the University of California, Irvine, will read from and sign his book China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, in the Walker-Ames Room of Kane Hall. Admission is free.


Wasserstrom’s illustrated talk will explore recent changes in Chinese politics and culture and the shifting place of the People’s Republic in the global order. He’ll draw on his experiences during frequent trips to Asia, and will discuss topics such as changing patterns of protest in Chinese cities, the impact and meaning of the Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai Expo, the shifting role of the Internet as a factor in society and politics, and Western hopes for and fears of China. The talk will be informed by historical perspective but will focus on issues of the moment at a time when China’s impact on and engagement with the world is increasing dramatically.


The talk is presented by the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington and cosponsored by the UW China Studies Program, East Asia Center, East Asia Resource Center and Global Asia Institute at the Henry M. School of International Studies. Wasserstrom’s book was published by Oxford Press this month.


For more information, contact the China Studies Program at chinast@uw.edu or 206-543-4391.