The University of Nottingham's Taiwan Research Hub presents a talk on
The Implications of the Indo Pacific Tilt
With Professor Alexander C. Tan, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, “University Chair Professor of Political Science, National Chengchi University, Taiwan and John Pearson, Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand
Wednesday 25 October 2023, 11-12.30pm
Room B07 Hemsey Building University Park
This discussion will take place as a Hybrid event, please register.
Professor Alexander C. Tan, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand will discuss “When nomenclature precedes policy: Taiwan and China from Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific”. Japan’s Shinzo Abe first mentioned the term “Indo-Pacific” in 2007 but it was not until 2018/9 when the US appropriated the term and made it popular. The choice of nomenclature from Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific is very much a part of the intensification of the US-China strategic competition. The choice of Indo-Pacific is purposive and expands the ‘battleground’ from a more ‘crowded’ Asia-Pacific. Furthermore, Indo-Pacific seems to be security focused while Asia-Pacific is more economic focused. What does this tilt mean for Taiwan, China, and all the other countries caught in-between the US-China strategic competition.
John Pearson, Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand will discuss ‘How the Indo-Pacific region matters to British diplomacy and interests’: in 2021 the British government published its ‘Integrated Review’, which outlined its ‘Indo-Pacific Tilt’. The British government places great strategic importance on this region, which is critical to the UK’s economy, its security, and its ambition to support open societies. John Pearson will explain how this increased emphasis on the Indo-Pacific region works in practice, drawing on his experience as Ambassador to Laos, and Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand.
Speaker biography
Alexander C. Tan is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Canterbury, University Chair Professor of Political Science at the National Chengchi University (Taiwan), Honorary Professor of the New Zealand Defence Force Command and Staff College, Fellow of the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies (Dallas, USA), and Founder and Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs. Alex received his PhD in political science from Texas A&M University, MA Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and AB Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University. He was visiting scholar at universities in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and Taiwan and represented NZ in Track II security/economic dialogues.
Alex writes extensively in the areas of parties and elections, political economy, Taiwan and Asian politics, and international relations of the Asia-Pacific and his recent publication includes a co-edited volume Asia Pacific Small States: The Political Economies of Resilience (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2023). Alex is editor of Frontiers in Political Economy and editorial board member of international academic journals such as Political Behavior, Asian Survey, Political Science, Politics and Governance, Issues and Studies, Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, Politicka Misao, Journal of Electoral Studies.
John Pearson has worked for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for over 30 years. He has been posted to Madrid, Brasilia, Montevideo, Singapore, Mexico, as well as living in Hong Kong. When at the FCDO in London, he has focused on sustainability (particularly climate change) and China (as Deputy Head of the China Department). He was Ambassador to Laos from 2019 to 2023, and is currently the Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand. John studied Geography at Nottingham University from 1987 to 1990.