CAMDEN — The 32nd annual Camden Conference is titled “Is This China’s Century?”

The speaker line-up features a range of experts on and from China. Indira Lakshmanan, last year’s moderator, will return. The Conference takes place live at the Camden Opera House with streaming to the Strand Theatre in Rockland, the Hutchinson Center in Belfast, and USM in Portland, February 22, 23 and 24, 2019.

As China emerges as a major global power, it faces complex challenges in its domestic economic, social, environmental and political affairs and its relations with Asian neighbors, the United States and the broader international community. Chinese investment on all continents is both welcomed and regarded with some anxiety, while Chinese diplomatic intervention has been essential to stability on the Korean peninsula. Taking an active role in shaping global dialogues, China is now attracting European as well as Asian nations to new multilateral institutions.  

Expert presenters from China, East Asia, Europe, and the U.S. will describe and analyze these challenges. Drawing on their extensive professional and personal experiences, the speakers will explore a wide range of topics: issues and expectations within Chinese society today; the dramatic reduction in overall poverty and the rise of a middle class; the roles of the Chinese Communist Party and its leadership; the outlook for China’s economy, long fueled by exports and substantial foreign investment; China’s aspirations in technology and innovation; the environmental impact of China’s industrial expansion and its role in addressing climate change worldwide; relations with neighboring countries in Northeast and Southeast Asia; and current and future U.S.-China relations, including controversies over trade, human rights, and the U.S. role in the stability and security of the Asia-Pacific region.

General registration opens on November 26, 2018. Conference members may register anytime. For more information or to become a member, visit www.camdenconference.org.

The mission of the Camden Conference is to foster informed discourse on world issues. For more information, please visit www.camdenconference.org  or call 207-236-1034.