Wednesday, July 27, 2022 from 12:00PM-1:00PM (ET)
Event Description:
The Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) is pleased to invite you to a conversation with Ian Easton on his new book, The Final Struggle: Inside China’s Global Strategy. Over the past two decades, the People’s Republic of China has undergone a profound economic, military, and political transformation. Once a developing nation on the periphery of the international system, China has developed into one of the world’s foremost powers. Throughout this rapid rise—and indeed, long before—outside observers have sought to understand the complex and opaque reasoning behind Beijing’s decision-making. Now, with Xi Jinping on the precipice of securing more executive power than any leader since Mao Zedong, gaining insights into China’s increasingly ambitious global strategy is more crucial than ever. In The Final Struggle, Easton works to shed light on the inner machinations of Beijing’s political system, using primary sources and and internal political documents to provide an unprecedented view into Xi Jinping’s China. In doing so, he underlines the grave implications of failing to respond to China’s growing challenge to the international order.
This event will be moderated by GTI Executive Director Russell Hsiao.
Doors will open at 11:30 AM, and the event will begin at 12:00 PM. If you plan on attending in-person, please RSVP here by July 25, as seating is limited. Please only register if you would like to attend in-person. Lunch will be provided. Please direct questions or concerns to Program Manager Marshall Reid at mreid@globaltaiwan.org.
The event will also be broadcast live here and on YouTube beginning at 12:00 PM.
**Media: Please contact Marshall Reid at mreid@globaltaiwan.org if you would like to bring additional crew members or equipment, so that we can be sure to accommodate you.
COVID Procedures: Proof of vaccination will be required at check in. Attendees unable to provide documentation will be required to wear a mask. Masks are optional for vaccinated individuals who are able to provide proof of vaccination.
The Author:
Ian Easton is a senior director at the Project 2049 Institute and author of The Chinese Invasion Threat: Taiwan’s Defense and American Strategy in Asia and The Final Struggle: Inside China’s Global Strategy. He previously served as a visiting fellow at the Japan Institute for International Affairs (JIIA) in Tokyo and a China analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses in Virginia. He has testified before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission and given talks at the US Naval War College, Japan’s National Defense Academy, and Taiwan’s National Defense University. Ian holds an MA in China Studies from National Chengchi University in Taiwan and a BA in International Studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He studied Chinese at Fudan University in Shanghai and National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei.
The Moderator:
Russell Hsiao is the executive director of GTI, senior fellow at The Jamestown Foundation, and adjunct fellow at Pacific Forum. He is a former Penn Kemble fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy and visiting scholar at the University of Tokyo’s Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia. He previously served as a senior research fellow at The Project 2049 Institute and National Security fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Prior to those positions he was the editor of China Brief at The Jamestown Foundation from October 2007 to July 2011 and a special associate in the International Cooperation Department at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. While in law school, he clerked within the Office of the Chairman at the Federal Communications Commission and the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center at the Office of the US Trade Representative. Hsiao received his JD and certificate from the Law and Technology Institute at the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law where he served as the editor-in-chief of the Catholic University’s Journal of Law and Technology. He received a BA in international studies from the American University’s School of International Service and the University Honors Program.
Event Summary:
On July 27, 2022, the Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) hosted a discussion with Ian Easton on his new book The Final Struggle: Inside China’s Global Strategy. The event was moderated by GTI Executive Director Russell Hsiao. By way of introduction, Easton explained that the inspiration for writing this second book came from reading the December 2017 US National Security Strategy, which framed the US-China relationship as a strategic competition, and that this led him to wonder how Beijing’s perspective differs. In the book, he used internal People’s Republic of China (PRC) documents to argue that instead of viewing the relationship through a competitive lens, Xi Jinping and the rest of the party sees sectors of global influence that are not Chinese-dominated as nefarious threats to be overcome.
Easton further explained that his methodology to conduct the analysis in his book was to focus upon reading internal Chinese-language documents. These materials were only accessible to those who could conduct online searches in Mandarin Chinese or navigate the Chinese webpages of government organizations, enterprises, and People’s Liberation Army (PLA)-partnered businesses. Some of the sources used include China’s National Defense University publications, grade-school textbooks from the PRC, the Thousand Talents Program, China’s Silicon Valley enterprises, and government web pages. One of the most influential takeaways from looking at these materials was the stark contrast in messaging with their English counterparts. Specifically, Easton commented on the far more aggressive narratives CCP leaders use when referring to the United States and Europe in their statements to Chinese audiences. For example, China describes the United States as its “strong enemy” (強敵) in Chinese language speeches, while state media uses a watered-down approach in covering the same events in English. Easton added that Washington’s references to Beijing also tend to take a more “polite” approach, referring to China as a “competitor.”
These internal documents also shed light on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) anxiety around losing. It seems that in critical areas where China does not have an advantage, Beijing fears becoming destabilized and losing control. One example of this can be seen in Xi Jinping’s comments of concern around the growing interconnectedness caused by digital innovation. Xi’s words and the state-led expansion of Chinese technology into the country’s communication infrastructure reflects the need felt by the CCP to retain control of the sector domestically and strengthen it internationally. Easton argued that the CCP leadership believes that if they are not able to spread their own ideology, subvert democratic governments, and shape a more favorable world order, their existence will inherently be threatened.
Easton also argued that the United States’ approach to China in terms of deterring aggression is inadequate, as most of the conversations around this topic are focused on maintaining conventional and nuclear overmatch. Although it is important to maintain a focus on potential kinetic conflict, the United States must also meet China in non-kinetic sectors where Beijing is developing considerable power: including ideology, international narratives, technology, communications, and data privacy.
Easton concluded by stating that the survivability of Taiwan should be a metric for how successful the United States is in competing with China. As the only flashpoint that immediately involves major stakes for the world’s largest superpowers, the future of Taiwan will decide the future of war and peace in our time. The United States must credibly signal that it will defend Taiwan to the point of engaging in military conflict. If this is not communicated clearly to China, we will likely be plunged into another global conflict, one more disruptive and violent than even World War II.
This event summary was written by GTI Summer Fellow Alayna Bone.
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This event summary was written by GTI Summer Fellow Alayna Bone.
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