Welcome to a Conference at Uppsala University
The United States and China: Friends, Foes, or Frenemies?
May 25-26, 2012, Uppsala, Sweden
The aim of the conference
Ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the United States has been the world’s unrivaled superpower. But after the events of 9/11 2001, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the deep economic crisis that culminated in 2008-09, the U.S. is facing the prospect of losing its preeminent strategic position as other great nations, notably China, have emerged on the world stage. In area after area since its modernization started in the late 1970s, China has assumed the role of the world’s second most powerful nation. In 2010, for the first time, the Chinese economy surpassed Japan’s and became the world’s second largest. Opinions differ among scholars about the impact of China’s growing economic strength and what long-term objectives it has when it comes to trade, economic and political co-operation, military armament, etc. But there is little disagreement about the fact that the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and China will profoundly influence and shape global development in the twenty-first century.
The aim of this conference is to discuss and highlight different aspects of the current and future relationship between the United States and China. Our hope is that the event will contribute to increased interest and research in this vital field. Organized by the Swedish Institute for North American Studies (SINAS) at the Department of English together with the Department of Linguistics and Philology, the conference on “The United States and China: Friends, Foes, or Frenemies?” will be held on May 25 and 26, 2012 at Uppsala University and it will feature a number of leading Swedish and international scholars in the field. What are China’s long-term goals and ambitions – does it want to compete on friendly terms with the U.S. or does it seek to gradually overtake the position as the world’s leading superpower? Can the United States maintain its dominant position in the 21st century, or are we witnessing the end of the American era? In other words, are we moving from a unipolar to a bipolar – or even multipolar – world and, if so, what will that mean for other countries large and small? These are just a few of the many questions that will be discussed at the conference.
Welcome to Uppsala!
Erik Åsard, The Swedish Institute for North American Studies, Department of English
and
Joakim Enwall, Department of Linguistics and Philology, Uppsala University.