Whether it be drawing down from two foreign wars, the advancement of ISIS in the Middle East or the recent nuclear deal with Iran, the United States is facing numerous foreign policy challenges. As a Congressman representing California for eight terms, Adam Schiff has worked closely on many of the top security issues facing the United States. He has been a leader on national security and foreign policy efforts in Congress while serving as the ranking member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and as a member of the Benghazi Select Committee. Schiff will discuss his work in Congress to strengthen American diplomacy and reform intelligence efforts along with his thoughts on the Iran deal and what the United States needs to do to meet future foreign policy objectives.

Speaker Adam Schiff is the Representative of the 28th Congressional District of California of the United States House of Representatives.

Anja Manuel, Partner at RiceHadleyGates LLC, will moderate the discussion.

For more information please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/events/event/1505

Many see China’s economic rise and growing middle class as precursors to democratization, as was the case for its neighbors in South Korea and Taiwan. This transition has not yet materialized, and some would argue that it won’t – and shouldn’t.

Is Chinese democracy inevitable? Professor Daniel Bell believes it is not, and supports many aspects of the Chinese political system, in which top leaders are selected based on merit and electoral democracy functions at the local level. While a transition to full democracy may not be necessary, many problems remain, including corruption, lack of transparency and repression of freedoms of speech and the press. Can these issues be addressed within China’s current political structure? How can reforms be instituted in certain areas without the system collapsing entirely? And what can other nations learn from the strengths of Chinese political meritocracy?

Speaker Daniel A. Bell is the Chair Professor of the Schwarzman Scholars Program at Tsinghua University.

The discussion will be moderated by Dale R. Walker,
Member of the Board of Directors for Beneficial State Bank, and Trustee of the World Affairs Council.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/events/event/1501