The Taiwan Studies Programme is delighted to announce that Tun-Jen Cheng a Professor in the Department of Government in the College of William and Mary, USA will be presenting the third of the 2013/14 series of Taiwan Studies lectures on "In Pursuit of FTAs: South Korea's Audacity and Taiwan's Trepidation'.

Speaker Biography

Tun-jen Cheng is Class of 1935 Professor in the Department of Government, College of William and Mary. Educated at National Taiwan University, University of Waterloo, and University of California, Berkley, Professor Cheng has previously taught at the University of California, San Diego and guest-lectured at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and the University of Tsukuba. He has written extensively on development and political change in East Asia, especially in South Korea and Taiwan. Among his recent publications are two compiled volumes, China Under Hu and Religious Organisations and Democratic Change in Asia.  He has recently completed a study on the management of China's foreign exchange reserves and is now conducting a survey on Chinese scholars' views on international relations. He was editor-in-chief of The American Asian Review and is founding editor of Taiwan Journal of Democracy.

Abstract

South Korea and Taiwan were two most often cited role models of Third World development. The two seem to have parted company, as South Korea is seen joining the big league, while Taiwan is said to be stagnating, drifting, and increasingly marginalized. The contrast between these two competitive economies is particularly pronounced on the trade front, as indicated by the lopsided tally of free trade agreements that they have inked. This talk hopes to tease out the sources of South Korean success and Taiwanese frustration in internationalizing their economies.  

Please find attached the powerpoint slides for the lecture.