On July 13, Asia Society Northern California partnered with the U.S. Department of State Foreign Press to host conversations between 20 journalists from across the Asia-Pacific region and leaders in academia, law, and the Bay Area diplomatic community. Mark Cohen, Head of the Asia IP Project at the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology at Berkeley Law School, and Anja Manuel, Executive Director of the Aspen Security Forum, spoke about U.S.-China relations and technologic innovation. Scot Marciel, Oksenberg-Rohlen Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and Consul General of Viet Nam Hoang Anh Tuan spoke about the opportunities and challenges for the rapidly growing Southeast Asia. Each session featured a 30 minute briefing from and conversation between experts, followed by a 20 minute on-the-record Q&A session with the global correspondents. This event was a unique opportunity to hear questions from 20 journalists from all over the world, including Ghana, India, Papua New Guinea, Spain, Vietnam, and Hungary.

View photos from the event here. 

Session 1 Recap: U.S.-China Technologic Competition

During the first session of this event Anja Manuel (Executive Director, Aspen Security Forum) and Mark Cohen (Head, Asia IP Project at the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology at Berkeley Law School) delivered briefings on U.S.-China tech competition and its global implications. 

Manuel’s briefing relayed the strength of U.S.-China relations in economics, citing that in 2021 the two countries had the largest bilateral trade of goods. However, Manuel noted that the security relationship between the U.S. and China is not as robust.  

Cohen’s briefing elaborated on the current dilemma countries face as they aim to construct ethical supply chains related to intellectual property, manufacturing, and technology. 

Session 2 Recap: Opportunities and Challenges for the Rapidly Growing S.E. Asia

During the second session, Scot Marciel (Oksenberg-Rohlen Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies) and Consul General of Viet Nam Hoang Anh Tuan delivered briefings on opportunities and challenges for the rapidly growing Southeast Asia.  

Marciel began his briefing by listing strengths of the region, including economic momentum and large internet integration. He then elaborated on challenges faced by the region, such as underdeveloped finance systems and a lack of quality infrastructure.  

Consul General Tuan focused on the achievements of ASEAN member states. He shared that ASEAN is a hub for U.S. investment and that ASEAN does not experience any major conflicts between member states. Consul General Tuan also expressed concern over the repercussions of naval interaction between the U.S. and China in the South China Sea. He voiced that members of ASEAN want to steer clear of a future where a choice must be made to align with either the U.S. or China.  

Both sessions concluded with a conversation between the speakers followed by a Q+A session with questions from the audience.