Taiwan – The Day After

During a period of increased global unrest and a significant rise in conflicts over the past three decades, a critical question weighs heavily on the intricate geopolitical scene: Would China risk an invasion of Taiwan? Join the World Affairs Council for a discussion on what could prompt such a decision from Xi Jinping and the ripple effects an invasion would have on the global stage – from regional stability to global economic markets to the balance of power between China and the United States.

Make sure to arrive at 5:30 pm to catch up with the World Affairs Council’s members and friends and join us for a glass of wine.

But that's not all! Would you appreciate an opportunity to unpack the discussion afterward? Join us for a casual, no-host happy hour after the program down the street at Collins Pub, organized by our Young Professionals International Network. Sign up on our page here to help us get an accurate headcount.

Speakers

Director General Daniel Kuo-ching Chen

Daniel Kuo-ching Chen is currently Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle. Prior to this, he was Deputy Secretary-General of the Taiwan Council for U.S. Affairs（TCUSA）seconded to Foreign Minister’s Office. D.G. Chen served as Deputy Director in the Political Division at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office （TECRO）in the United States. He also served the Section Chief in the Department of Northern American Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Republic of China（Taiwan）and was awarded the Model Civil Servant of MOFA in 2011. D.G. Chen served Senior Consular Officer in Taipei Economic and Cultural Office（TECO）in Seattle as well. He was a platoon leader as a second lieutenant in the Army of ROC and was awarded Excellent Mandatory Service Officer in 1997.

D.G Chen earned a Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) with an International Business Diplomacy (IBD) honorary certificate from Georgetown University in 2000 and Bachelor of Arts with valedictorian in Diplomacy from National Chengchi University, Taiwan in 1995.

Professor Victor Shih

Victor Shih is an expert on the politics of Chinese banking policies, fiscal policies, and exchange rate, as well as the elite politics of China. He is the author of two books published by the Cambridge University Press, "Factions and Finance in China: Elite Conflict and Inflation" and "Coalitions of the Weak: Elite Politics in China from Mao’s Stratagem to the Rise of Xi." He is also editor of "Economic Shocks and Authoritarian Stability: Duration, Institutions and Financial Conditions," published by the University of Michigan Press. Shih also has published widely in a number of journals, including The American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Politics, The China Quarterly, and Party Politics.

Shih is a professor of political science, director of the 21st Century China Center, and the Ho Miu Lam Chair in China and Pacific Relations. He is currently engaged in a study of the activities of the Chinese elite and of Chinese defense firms around the world. He is also maintaining a large database on biographical information of elites in China.

At GPS, Shih teaches courses including Financing the Chinese Miracle, Chinese Sources and Methods, Chinese Politics and Political Economy of Authoritarian Regimes.

Prior to joining UC San Diego, Shih was a professor of political science at Northwestern University and former principal for The Carlyle Group.

David Sacks

David Sacks is a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where his work focuses on U.S.-China relations, U.S.-Taiwan relations, Chinese foreign policy, cross-Strait relations, and the political thought of Hans Morgenthau. In 2023, Mr. Sacks served as the project director for CFR’s Independent Task Force on U.S.-Taiwan Relations, which was chaired by Admiral (ret.) Michael G. Mullen and Susan M. Gordon. He also co-directed CFR’s Independent Task Force on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which was chaired by Jacob J. Lew and Admiral (ret.) Gary Roughead. He is a regular commentator on U.S.-Taiwan and cross-Strait relations. His writings have appeared in Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, Time, The Diplomat, The Hill, and the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs.

Moderator

Jackie Miller

Jacqueline has led the World Affairs Council of Seattle since May 2014. She held senior positions in policy organizations and non-profits on the east coast before moving to the Pacific Northwest. In Seattle, she also serves on the Mayor’s International Affairs Advisory Board; is a member of the Civic Council for UW’s Master of Arts in Applied International Studies (MAAIS) program; and serves on the Washington State Advisory Committee for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. She is a board member of the World Affairs Councils of America; a current board member and past chair of the board of Global Ties U.S, and is a member of the Board of Advisors of the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations. She is also a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Prior to joining the World Affairs Council, Jacqueline served as Director of External Relations at Independent Diplomat in New York, working with marginalized democratic political actors to help them navigate the United Nations, the EU, and other international diplomatic fora. Previously, she was a Senior Associate at the EastWest Institute (EWI) in New York, where she created and led the U.S. program. At EWI, she focused on national security policy, the U.S.-Russia and U.S.-China relationships, as well as nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation issues. She was deputy director of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Washington (DC) programs, where she oversaw CFR’s robust DC meetings program as well as outreach on Capitol Hill and the DC diplomatic community. She got her start in think tanks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where she was deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia program. She has also taught at The George Washington University, where she undertook graduate work after earning undergraduate and graduate degrees from Cornell University.

She has been a commentator for various news sources (print, web, and broadcast), including the New York Times, the BBC, CBC, and Voice of America. Her honors include being named a Truman Security Fellow as well as receiving a Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS) for Russia. She was also an International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) Visiting Scholar in Kyrgyzstan.