The Rivalry Between China and Japan for the Economic and Strategic Leadership in Asia

Professor Claude Meyer of Science Po, Paris will be speaking at Columbia University on February 29, 2012.

By 2030, Asia will be home to three of the world’s leading economies: Japan, China, and India. In the contest over who will lead this pack, Japan and China seem to be the likely winners. Claude Meyer assesses the strengths and weaknesses of each country––notorious rivals harboring a long history of tension and conflict––and the major challenges they will face in the battle for supremacy.

Meyer lays out the most probable scenario for ascendancy, following the dialectical relationship between Japan and China’s relative economic and strategic abilities. While he acknowledges China’s strategic advantages, Meyer nevertheless prioritizes economic considerations, for he believes economics is the primary arena in which Asian integration will take place. This tends to put Japan in the more favorable position, as the surprisingly resilient nation is sure to maintain stable leadership through its positive tradition of productivity, competitiveness, and technological innovation.

RSVP required to lb2808@columbia.edu