Understanding China: Complicated but Essential.

China is, without question, the other major global power, and its economic and international power is likely to increase as the 21st century advances.

China significantly impacts all Americans, including the people of Illinois. Some of those impacts are well-known and covered both in news stories and in people’s day-to-day lives.

China produces products we need; it causes some of our manufacturing industries to close; its demands for food create markets for Illinois and Iowa soybeans and corn; it seeks to stretch its global interests, causing national security concerns for the U.S.; it and the U.S. are the two major contributors to global warming, but at the same time diligently understand the disease; it is a cooperator with the U.S. on some key global issues and in research scholarship, but this is often not well known. The list goes on.

One thing is certain: China will be an important factor in the lives of people and businesses in Illinois and in world affairs for decades to come.

The event will be co-produced by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, which invites Illinois authors, artists and educators to share their expertise and enthusiasm with people throughout the state, enabling local nonprofit organizations to present free-admission cultural programs to their communities.