Why Did Trade Deals Become So Unpopular?

For decades, there was a bipartisan consensus in the United States that international trade was mutually beneficial. Now, politicians as diverse as Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and President Donald Trump argue that trade deals have damaged the U.S. economy and harmed the American worker.

How did these perceptions about trade change so much? And where is this leading?

In the first episode of the newly relaunched Asia In-Depth podcast, Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President Wendy Cutler, a trade negotiator in four U.S. administrations, explains how the politics of trade have shifted during her career in a conversation with Asia Society Executive Vice President Tom Nagorski.

Each week, Asia In-Depth will present an illuminating conversation about the politics and culture of Asia — and beyond — with the experts and thought leaders who know it best. Be sure to subscribe.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

William Burns' Lessons From a Career in Diplomacy

Throughout his long career in diplomacy, Ambassador William Burns has been on the front lines of American foreign policy in both Democratic and Republican administrations. In a recent conversation with Asia Society President and CEO Josette Sheeran at Asia Society New York, Burns reflected on some of the consequential events of his career and criticized the Trump administration for withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Deal. He suggested that the incremental approach to negotiating with Tehran would, ironically, be a sensible template for dealing with North Korea. But he warned that it wouldn’t be easy.

“Negotiating with North Korea on the nuclear issue would make people nostalgic for negotiating with the Iranians,” he said.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

Why North Korea Is So Wary of China

For years following Kim Jong Un’s assumption of power in 2011, North Korea’s relations with China, the smaller country’s sole ally and economic lifeline, were almost non-existent. That changed last year with a series of meetings between Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping that seemed to indicate warmer ties. Nevertheless, John Delury argues that Pyongyang has good reason to be hesitant of Beijing:

“Major Chinese investment has not started to flow into North Korea,” he said. “Kim Jong Un is wary of China. And he’d be wary of too much Chinese capital flowing in at too high a volume because ultimately that would be quite threatening to his economic interests. So he’s holding things at bay.”

Delury, a professor at Yonsei University in South Korea and an Asia 21 Young Leader, delivered these remarks at Asia Society New York in a program featuring North Korea expert Dong-Jin Kim and Tom Nagorski.

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ETC

Asia's Growing Foothold in Hollywood

Here’s what else is going on:

On the eve of this week’s U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit co-hosted by Asia Society Southern California in Los Angeles, event organizer Janet Yang told Variety that Asians have established a stronger foothold in Hollywood. “The changes of the last couple years are not just imagination,” she said. Stay tuned for photos and video from the summit.
Art historian and curator Donald Stadtner delivered a lecture last week on the complex syncretism of religious practice in Sri Lanka at Asia Society New York, relaying how themes prevalent two thousand years ago remain relevant today.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Nov. 7: Asia Society Policy Institute President Kevin Rudd will discuss the U.S-China trade war at a program sponsored by Asia Society Northern California.
Nov. 7: Contemporary Indian artist Vibha Galhotra joins a panel discussion with Heather Davis, Upmanu Lall, and Peggy Shepard on the subject of Galhotra’s latest project, Who Owns the Water? The program will be held at Asia Society New York.
Nov. 12: Asia Society Texas welcomes Michael O’Hanlon for a discussion of his new book, The Senkaku Paradox, which explains how seemingly minor crises risk the possibility of great power conflict.
Nov. 13: Why does China celebrate some anniversaries with pomp and circumstance while seemingly ignoring others? The Australian sinologist Geremie Barmé tackles this question in an appearance at Asia Society New York.

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