Asia Rising

The Chinese education system has had its criticisms, but many argue that it delivers, at least in the larger cities such as Shanghai and Hong Kong. Students are pushed to study, with many students attending after-school tutoring, and qualities such as respect and dedication are held to a higher standard than that of western education systems. GUEST: Lenora Chu (American journalist, author of Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve’) Theme music: Asian Wonders by Butterfly Tea

Indonesia is a sprawling nation of islands across south-east Asia, and two environmental concerns are significant – deforestation and rising sea levels. The deforestation rate is one of the highest in the world, and rising sea levels threaten much of their territory, including the capital, Jakarta. GUEST: Dr Dirk Tomsa (Senior Lecturer, Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University).

China operates on a scale that outclasses every other country, and are taking climate change seriously. As the world’s biggest polluter many would say that this is the way it should be. But does this give China an advantage and a global platform in green leadership? And are they making the most of it? GUEST: Dr Benjamin Habib (Lecturer, Politics and International Relations, La Trobe University).

North Korea is a country that can little afford a close examination of ecological impact. The environment exists and is protected as long as it is useful as a resource to the authoritative state. Despite this it holds an important place in the mythology of the country, and retaining elements of it is useful, as long as they can be exploited. GUEST: Dr Robert Winstanley-Chesters (Research Fellow, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University)

India struggles with environmental imperatives. Its cities have the worst air pollution in the world, its iconic rivers are, in some places, literally dead and human development pressures will often override concerns of the natural environment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made commitments to clean up India, but can he follow through with his promises? Are there more invested interests in pushing forward with industrial projects, and does India's environment have the time to be neglected? GUEST: Professor Amita Baviskar, (Sociologist, Economic Institute of Growth, Delhi). Follow La Trobe Asia on Twitter: @LaTrobeAsia

With China's emergence as a power of the first rank it has changed the Asian region and indeed the world. It has reordered established patterns of trade and investment, unsettled a longstanding balance of power in Asia, and brought old historical antagonisms to the surface. As President Xi Jinping consolidates his power, China increasingly presents a confident and at times assertive face to the wider world. But what does China want from its region? How much change would this represent? What options exist for Australia to influence how the People's Republic comports itself on the wider global stage? GUEST: The Hon. Kevin Rudd (Former Prime Minister of Australia, President of the Asia Society Policy Unit). Follow Kevin Rudd on Twitter: @krudd Follow Nick Bisley on Twitter: @NickBisley Follow La Trobe Asia on Twitter: @LaTrobeAsia

From the turbulent 1960s until today, Hong Kong has been a city shaped by civil disobedience. The latest wave of protests in Hong Kong’s long history of public dissent culminated in the Occupy Central movement of 2014. What emerges from these grassroots movements is a unique Hong Kong identity, one shaped neither by Britain nor China. Guest: Antony Dapiran (author of City of Protest: A Recent History of Dissent in Hong Kong) Follow Antony Daparin on Twitter: @antd Follow La Trobe Asia on Twitter: @LaTrobeAsia

China’s emergence as a global power of the first rank has changed the Asian region and the world. It has reordered established patterns of trade and investment, unsettled a long standing balance of power in Asia and brought old historical antagonisms to the surface. What options exist for Australia to influence how the People’s Republic comports itself on the wider global stage? SPEAKERS: Kevin Rudd (Former Prime Minister of Australia) Linda Jakobson (CEO, China Matters) Professor Nick Bisley (La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University) Recorded on October 26, 2017 at The Sofitel, Melbourne.

The 19th Chinese Communist Party Congress has been and gone, and in its wake we’re left with a more powerful Xi Jinping with an far-reaching vision for the future of the country. But what could it mean in the long-term, and is Xi making a power play that could see future change in both the party and the political balance of China? GUEST: Rowan Callick (China correspondent for The Australian, author of Party Time: Who Runs China and How) Follow La Trobe Asia on Twitter: @LaTrobeAsia

China and Australia have relationship anchored by strong trade bonds, and there is a respectful prime-ministerial level dialogue between the two countries. Yet it is a relationship with underlying tension. China and Australia sometimes find themselves on different sides of the table in some bilateral issues, and disagreements over foreign investment in Australia, influence, and the interests of allied countries might prevent further successful co-operation or interaction. This panel will discuss the key challenges and opportunities confronting the bilateral relationship of China and Australia. SPEAKERS: Professor Nick Bisley (La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University) Professor Chen Hong (Australian Studies Centre, East China Normal University) Professor Hou Minyue (Australian Studies Centre, East China Normal University) Assoc Professor James Leibold (Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University) Recorded on November 21, 2017 at East China Normal University, Shanghai.

Australia has a vital set of relationships with its Asian neighbours, built on the foundation of shared geography, security interests and mutually beneficial trade. Over recent decades Japan and China have become global powerhouses and India may yet join them. Having strong, beneficial relations with these countries will only become more important. One of the most important figures in building these relationships is Gareth Evans. When he became Foreign Minister in September 1988 he prioritised building a strong relationship between Australia and Asian countries, navigating the troubled relationship with Indonesia, working closely with China and other regional powers in initiating the UN peace plan for Cambodia, and playing key roles in the creation of new regional economic and security policy architecture with APEC and the ASEAN Regional Forum. This conversation reflects on Gareth Evans’ time in office, discuss his thoughts on Australia’s place in Asia and how our region’s future may unfold. He is in conversation with Professor Nick Bisley, executive director of La Trobe Asia. Gareth Evans was a member of parliament and Cabinet member throughout the Hawke-Keating years. His newbook, Incorrigible Optimist: A Political Memoir is published by Melbourne University Publishing. Recorded at the State Library of Victoria on 15 November, 2017.

Western countries are impressed by the performance of China's schools in international tests and search for the secrets of their success, but are we overlooking the punishing nature of elite schooling in China and its role in increasing inequality? Guest: Professor Edward Vickers (Comparative Education, Kyushu University), co-author of Education and Society in Post-Mao China (Routledge 2017). Follow La Trobe Asia on Twitter: @LaTrobeAsia

For more than half a century, American power in the Pacific has successfully kept the peace. But it has also cemented the tensions in the toxic rivalry between China and Japan, consumed with endless history wars and entrenched political dynasties. Now, the combination of these forces with Donald Trump's unpredictable impulses and disdain for America's old alliances threatens to upend the region, and accelerate the unravelling of the postwar order. If the United States helped lay the postwar foundations for modern Asia, now the anchor of the global economy, that structure is now crumbling. Richard McGregor is a journalist and an author with extensive experience in reporting from East Asia and Washington. He is the author of Asia's Reckoning: China, Japan, the US and the Struggle for Global Power. A La Trobe Asia seminar recorded on 1st August, 2017.

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is a man with strong views on economics. He came into office in 2014 with a vision for India to be a global manufacturing power, and promises that his leadership will usher in economic revival. Has Modi's economic leadership paid off, or is India still waiting for the cheque to clear? Guest: Adam Roberts (former South Asia correspondent for the Economist, current Europe business correspondent, author of "Superfast Primetime Ultimate Nation: the Relentless Invention of Modern India”) Follow Adam Roberts on Twitter: @latrobeasia Follow La Trobe Asia on Twitter: @latrobeasia

China’s Communist Party Congress has begun in Beijing and opened with an address from General Secretary Xi Jinping. The country’s most powerful leader in decades, Xi game himself a glowing report card and set an ambitious agenda for his second term, keeping a captive audience of delegates entranced 205 minutes. What did the address have to say about the successes of China, the new era it approaches, and the role of Xi Jinping moving forward? Guest: Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia, Professor of International Relations) Follow Nick Bisley on Twitter: @NickBisley Follow La Trobe Asia on Twitter: @latrobeasia