US-Australian Dialogue: Assessing the Future of the Asia-Pacific Conference

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US-Australian Dialogue: Assessing the Future of the Asia-Pacific Conference

Image for US-Australian Dialogue: Assessing the Future of the Asia-Pacific Conference

The US-Australia Dialogue brought together academics, experts and government officials to discuss the US-Australian alliance and shifting economic and political dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region. See videos of the panel conversations below:

Welcome remarks and Panel 1: The US-Australian Alliance: A Model for the Changing Geopolitical Environment

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UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and Australian Consul General of Los Angeles Karen Lanyon gave opening remarks. The first panel discussed the US-Australian alliance, and how the two nations can work together to face new threats and answer old challenges. Kal Raustiala, Associate Vice Provost of International Studies at UCLA moderated the discussion. Panelists included Kim Beazley, the Australian Ambassador to the US, Jeffrey Bleich, Former US Ambassador to Australia, and Terry McCarthy, President and CEO of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.

Panel 2: The Future of the Trans-Pacific Partnership

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The second panel focused on the potential of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to reshape trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. Discussion touched on the controversies over the TPP and what its chances are for approval in Congress. The panel was moderated by Simon Newnham, Minister-Counsellor of Trade at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC, and panelists included Richard Steinberg, Professor of Law at UCLA, and Carlos Valderrama, Senior Vice President of Global Initiatives at the LA Chamber of Commerce.

Keynote Speech

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The Honorable Malcolm Turnbull MP, Australian Minister for Communications delivered a keynote address on the importance of US-Australian cooperation.

Panel 3: Strategic Rivalry in East and South-East Asia

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The third panel covered territorial disputes in the Asia region such as the conflicts over the Spratly and the Senkaku-Diaoyu islands, which threaten to incite conflict among some of the world's most powerful militaries. Robert Hill, former Australian Minister for Defence and Adjunct Professor in Sustainability for the United States Studies Center at the University of Sydney moderated the panel. Experts included Tom Plate, Distinguished Scholar of Asian and Pacific Studies at Loyola Marymount University, David Kang, Professor of International Relations and Business and Director of the Korean Studies Institute at USC, and Susan Shirk, Ho Miu Lam Professor of China and Pacific Relations at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UC San Diego.

Panel 4: Fast-Tracking Growth in Asia

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The last panel touched on the future of dynamic economic growth in Asia and implications for the global economy. The discussion was moderated by Niels Marquardt, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia. Experts included the Honorable Lisa Scaffedi, Lord Mayor of Perth, Jerry Nickelsburg, Adjunct Professor of Economics at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and Senior Economist at the UCLA Anderson Forecast, and Julia Gouw, President and COO of the East West Bank.

To view the photos from this conference please click here

Published: Monday, February 9, 2015