Conversation & Debate: Challenging China

Join AKWorld for a debate style program on the future of China featuring Sam Kaplan, author of Challenging China. We will be joined by members of the UAA Seawolf Debate Team who will debate: The dream of China’s political liberalization following their economic liberalization is dead. Following the debate, our panel of China experts will determine who won the debate and add final remarks before the audience Q&A session. Steve Johnson, UAA Associate Professor and Director of Debate will moderate the debate.

About the speaker:

Sam Kaplan has worked with and in China and written about it for thirty plus years in a variety of business, policy and education roles. Currently he is director of the rather long-windedly named Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management.


As president of the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, Sam organized numerous trade and business missions to China and hosted countless delegations, business people, government officials and others from China.


Sam was a key member of the host committees for the visits of both President Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping to Seattle. This provided him an up-close view into the changing dynamics of China and U.S. relations. He also served as the President of the Boao Forum, Seattle LLC, managing the organization of a high-level clean technology conference in 2014 featuring government, business, and academic leaders from throughout Asia and North America such as Zhang Guobao, Bill Gates, and Henry Paulson. Sam acted as the Interim Executive Director for the Washington State China Relations Council concurrent to his role as TDA President.