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New book ‘Trade War’ examines causes, history of conflict between US, China
LAWRENCE — With no resolution in sight for the trade war between the United States and China, a new book from a University of Kansas international trade law expert examines where the conflict may lead and its consequences thus far while also providing a critical historical and legal analysis of how it started. “Trade War: Causes, Conduct, and Consequences of Sino-American Confrontation” by Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor of Law at KU, explores disagreements from both American and Chinese perspectives. Bhala examines the position of third-party nations such as India as well.
Kansas Economic Policy Conference to address urgent workforce needs
LAWRENCE — Each year, the Kansas Economic Policy Conference convenes Kansas state lawmakers, community and industry leaders and scholars. On Oct. 19, the conference will address workforce needs for Kansas. This free public event will take place at the Burge Union and online, and registration is required.
Haunting Humanities will bring wicked fun to Lawrence
LAWRENCE — The Hall Center for the Humanities will bring a Halloween twist to history, literature, language and culture in downtown Lawrence this month. The all-ages Haunting Humanities festival provides a unique opportunity for scholars to share serious research, nightmarish stories, chilling factoids and joyful revelations. This year’s celebration will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 25 at Abe & Jake’s Landing.
Enjoy an entire day of classical music with KPR’s Live Day
LAWRENCE – Kansas Public Radio will celebrate its commitment to classical music with an entire day of live performances Oct. 25 at the KPR Live Performance Studio and Lied Center of Kansas. Performers will include the Kansas City-based Opus 76 Quartet, Bach Aria Soloists, the Beaufort Winds and an evening performance by KPR host and violinist Destiny Ann Mermagen.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Mike Krings, KU News Service, 785-864-8860, [email protected], @MikeKrings
New book ‘Trade War’ examines causes, history of conflict between US, China
LAWRENCE — With no resolution in sight for the trade war between the United States and China, a new book from a University of Kansas international trade law expert examines where the conflict may lead and its consequences thus far while also providing a critical historical and legal analysis of how it started.
“Trade War: Causes, Conduct, and Consequences of Sino-American Confrontation” by Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor of Law at KU, is a full-length legal and interdisciplinary analysis of the conflict. While the trade war officially started in 2018 when then-president Donald Trump placed tariffs on Chinese imports, its roots stretch back many decades. Solutions are scarce, confounding presidents, dictators, scholars and policymakers alike. Bhala provides an in-depth look at the sources, nature and scope of increasingly fraught relations between the two countries. For his part, he has been studying the relationship for decades.
“In 1982 I made my first visit. China was still emerging from Mao’s leadership and the horrors of the Cultural Revolution,” Bhala said. “I later researched and wrote about China’s reemergence, including its 2001 entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001, and – as a visiting scholar at Hong Kong University – the currency manipulation controversy. There was tremendous optimism that WTO entry would lead to political liberalization, and the handover of Hong Kong back to China might even be a reverse takeover. But as the years wore on and Xi Jinping took power, those hopes were disappointed.”
“Trade War,” available from Carolina Academic Press, details the conflict chronologically in three parts: tariff and non-tariff measures and future battles. Over the book’s 22 chapters, Bhala documents the history of the conflict, including legal and economic wrangling that led to America’s imposition of tariffs in 2018 and China’s counter-retaliatory measures – all of which continue to this day. The author wrote that while that action could be considered the first shots in the conflict, numerous presidents have been unable to solve trade issues with China. The book opens with a quote from President Joe Biden on China’s capacity to reshape the world order and one from China’s president on that nation’s rise.
“You’re not going to see a new China policy, if at all, until well into 2025. China policy hasn’t really changed under President Biden, with the exception of style and a more dignified approach,” Bhala said. “Whatever you think of him or his policies, President Trump recognized China’s industrial and trade policies and intellectual property piracy were not acceptable.”
Yet, Bhala’s opening quote from President John F. Kennedy, warning against demonization of peoples, also frames the book.
The book’s second part details non-tariff issues in the trade war. They include investment, financial and data decoupling. Part three covers human rights battles in the trade war, most notably, China’s aggressive approach to Hong Kong, and threats to Taiwan.
The final part of “Trade War” is devoted to future battles and offers competing characterizations of the conflict.
“The countries have within their power to choose if this is a forever trade war that could devolve into a shooting war, or if they want to step back and start solving, one by one, these economic and trade issues,” Bhala said. “As a lawyer, obviously that is my preference. To do that, I think it requires a calming of rhetoric and detailed, technical give-and-take.”
The book does not advocate for either nation’s position in the conflict and explores disagreements from both American and Chinese perspectives. Bhala examines the position of third-party nations such as India as well.
“India has long-standing strong ties to both the United States and China. And India does not view itself as a deputy sheriff for the U.S.,” Bhala said. “India sees itself not as picking sides but as a problem solver. I try to make clear how India views itself as a rational bridge between the two.”
Bhala recently discussed the book at an event sponsored by KU’s Center for East Asian Studies, and he will make a presentation at the International Bar Association Annual Conference in Paris next month as well.
In academia, the book could serve as a complement to Bhala’s four-volume set “International Trade Law: A Comprehensive Textbook.” Beyond the classroom, the book could be of interest to lawyers, policymakers, economists, financial market professionals, international business leaders or anyone who seeks a deeper understanding of the most pressing challenge in the political economy of the 21st century.
“We’re not going to get anywhere with continued insistence on the righteousness of either side’s cause,” Bhala said. “There is nothing ad hominem in this book. I would like to help people understand this conflict and help lawyers and those in power to step back, address and solve Sino-American relationship problems one at a time.”
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Contact: Carrie Caine, Institute for Policy & Social Research, 785-864-9102, [email protected]
Kansas Economic Policy Conference to address urgent workforce needs
LAWRENCE — Each year, the Kansas Economic Policy Conference convenes community and industry leaders, policymakers and scholars. On Oct. 19, the conference will address workforce needs for Kansas.
Recent research shows that Kansas employers are likely to need 34,000 more credentialed workers than the state will have by 2030.
“Our report shows that surrounding states pay higher wages for skilled workers,” said Donna Ginther, Roy A. Roberts & Regents Distinguished Professor of Economics and director of the Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas.
“Kansas is currently at full employment, and the addition of the Panasonic plant near Eudora and the EMP Shield plant in Burlington underscores the need to attract and retain workers to the state,” she said.
Workforce needs are closely linked to population trends. And in Kansas, the population growing slowly, even though the state boasts a low cost of living, easy access to amenities like recreational areas and short travel time between small towns and big cities. Most counties in Kansas have not grown in population in the 21st century.
During the conference, speakers will address questions surrounding workforce development from different perspectives. The event features keynotes from Ginther on the state of the Kansas economy and the Kansas workforce as well as from Misty Heggeness, associate scientist with IPSR and associate professor of public affairs & administration, on child care access and the Kansas workforce.
State and local leaders will address workforce development during a conversation among John Clark, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 441, Kansas Apprenticeship Council member; Scott Smathers, Kansas Board of Regents; Amanda Duncan, vice president and chief business development officer, Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas; and Diane DeBacker, founding director of the Center for Certification and Competency Based Education, KU.
The conference will also include a conversation among industry leaders around workforce needs, with Sheri Gonzales, senior director of DEI, Evergy; and Neelima Parasker, CEO, SnapIT Solutions.
In the afternoon, legislators will have the opportunity to address workforce challenges and opportunities during a conversation among State Sen. Michael Fagg, R-14; State Rep. Brandon Woodard, House minority agenda chair, D-30; and State Rep. Stephanie Clayton, House minority whip, D-19.
Tim Carpenter, senior reporter for the Kansas Reflector; Teri Finneman, associate professor of journalism at KU and publisher of The Eudora Times; and Madeline Fox, news director at KCUR, will moderate the conversations.
The conference allows for in-depth discussions about matters of importance to the state, according to Ginther.
“The perspectives from legislators are very helpful in understanding the future policy direction of the state when it comes to retaining and growing the Kansas workforce,” she said.
The conference will take place at the Burge Union and online, with live captioning available. Registration is required to attend this free public event.
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Contact: Dan Oetting, Hall Center for the Humanities, [email protected], @KUHallCenter
Haunting Humanities will bring wicked fun to Lawrence
LAWRENCE — The Hall Center for the Humanities will bring a Halloween twist to history, literature, language and culture in downtown Lawrence this month. This all-ages humanities festival provides a unique opportunity for scholars to share serious research, nightmarish stories, chilling factoids and joyful revelations. This year’s celebration will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 25 at Abe & Jake’s Landing.
“Haunting Humanities playfully explores the insights that the study of humanities can bring to everyday life,” said Giselle Anatol, interim director of the Hall Center. “From candy and cocktails to chilling stories about historical events, it’s an evening with something for everyone.”
Visitors will receive a map of the venue and can guide themselves through a series of innovative presentations, activities, games and enactments at their own pace. Each exhibit will have a rating – G, PG, PG-13 or R – listed in the event’s program to indicate whether it is appropriate for younger audiences or adults. Food vendors are Latchkey Deli and April’s Sweet Treats, and the Abe & Jake’s bar will feature a unique menu of spooky boutique cocktails.
Haunting Humanities is a KU original. It began as the brainchild of the Public Humanities Roundtable, a loosely knit group convened by the Hall Center, of faculty, staff, and community partners who were interested in developing new ways for humanities researchers to engage the public interactively with their work.
Haunting Humanities has a host of spine-tingling sponsors and hair-raising community partners, including Humanities Kansas, Friends of the Hall Center, Kansas Public Radio, Abe & Jake’s Landing and numerous KU academic departments.
A sampling of activities scheduled for the evening:
Cursed Classics
Learn the secrets of ancient Greek and Roman magic with KU’s Department of Classics. Design a curse to smite enemies or a love charm to capture the heart of a crush. Then use the newly acquired knowledge of the ancient dark arts to decode the spell and enter a drawing to win a prize.
“On a Dark and Stormy Night”: Crafting the Campfire Story
Danger lurks in the darkness, so join around the campfire for the telling of a few twisted tales. Don’t have a story to tell? Organizers will help participants write one.
Making Mary’s Monster
For the Making Mary’s Monster escape room, Mary Shelley and those attending embark on a writing contest to see who can pen the best ghost story. Mary, disturbed by a nightmare, begins her masterpiece, “Frankenstein.” In the midst of her work, she is struck by an affliction that visits students, academics and authors the world over: the dreaded writer’s block. Can participants free her?
El Dia de los Muertos: Passing on Family History through Art & Storytelling
Participants will learn about el Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, as they build an ofrenda, a colorful altar to honor late loved ones. In Mexican culture, the dead are to be celebrated and not feared. Afterward, participants can take a photo with Lucia, a 12-foot skeleton.
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Don’t miss new episodes of “When Experts Attack!,”
a KU News Service podcast hosted by Kansas Public Radio.
https://kansaspublicradio.org/when-experts-attack
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Contact: Emily Fisher, Kansas Public Radio, 785-864-0190, [email protected], @kprnews
Enjoy an entire day of classical music with KPR’s Live Day
LAWRENCE – Kansas Public Radio will celebrate its commitment to classical music with Live Day, an entire day of live performances Oct. 25. Individuals may attend these concerts at the Lied Center Pavilion or listen to the broadcast live on KPR.
The Opus 76 Quartet, a Kansas City-based string quartet, will kick off the day at 9 a.m. in the KPR Live Performance Studio. Violinist Joseph Genualdi and pianist Jihyun Oh will directly follow at 10 a.m. in the Lied Center of Kansas Pavilion. That performance, featuring autumnal tunes and other music of the season, will be free and open to the public. KPR also encourages schools, child care centers and other community groups to attend.
Performances will continue to alternate every hour between the KPR Live Performance Studio and the Pavilion until 3 p.m. Additional performers include pianist and Lawrence native Koji Attwood, Bach Aria Soloists, the Beaufort Winds and the St. Lawrence Catholic Center Music Ensemble, directed by Jesse Henkensiefken.
The evening will conclude with a capstone concert featuring the creepy classical sounds of Halloween by Kansas City violinist and KPR “Evening Classical” host Destiny Ann Mermagen. She’ll be accompanied by pianist Karen Savage and percussionist John Currey at the Lied Center of Kansas Pavilion at 7 p.m. This evening concert is ticketed. Tickets may be reserved at kansaspublicradio.org under the SHOP tab.
KPR’s Darrell Brogdon and Cordelia Brown will host the broadcast on KPR, online and on the KPR app.
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