Written by Konrad Gessler
Is China rising? Yes, but its rise is tempered by major issues that the CCP will face in the near future. Speakers for the Tufts China-US Symposium first ever November panel spoke of numerous maladies such as dirty air, a demographic catastrophe in the form of millions of surplus males, lack of fertile farming land, and a diminishing water supply that will certainly slow China’s rise in the near future. Panelists included Professor Michael Beckley of the Political Science Department, Professor Xueping Zhong of the Chinese Department, Professor Sulmaan Khan of the Fletcher School, and Professor Mary Alice Haddad of Wesleyan College’s Government Department. The interdisciplinary discussion touched on topics such as internal cultural debates about China’s rise, and the geopolitics of China’s rough neighborhood. Although much time was devoted to explaining China’s problems, the speakers also noted that China’s rise is unprecedented. Professor Haddad even cautioned that “in some ways [China] is more functional that [the United States] is”. The Tufts China-US Symposium will be holding its annual symposium on April 17th-19th.