Narrowing a Focus
As stated here on our blog, the main academic focus of our trip is to examine China’s role in international trade. But the nature of SAIS—offering a multifaceted approach to studying international relations—and China, forcing the rest of the world to adapt to its rapid evolution, compels us to explore an array of additional topics. My autonomous exploration in China will hew closely to what I have studied during my most recent semester at SAIS.
Building on a simulated negotiation of a free trade area between China and the European Union in my Economic Negotiations course, I plan to analyze China’s trade policies vis-à-vis Latin American countries. This will come on the heels of a final paper I have written on the FTA between China and Chile. In Political Risk Analysis, we assessed the political risks facing a foreign insurance company planning to invest in Fujian Province. If successful in finalizing meetings with the U.S.-China Business Council and/or the American Chamber of Commerce, I hope to further explore the most salient political risks facing foreign companies operating in China today—across all industries. Finally, meetings with several journalists should provide us with not only a unique perspective on U.S.-China economic issues, but also a sense of the extent to which the media operates independently and freely in today’s China.
Joe
