Renowned author to shed light on China’s rise to power

Voice of information: Dr Jacques will present a detailed look at the new China during his lecture in Kuala Lumpur.

PETALING JAYA: Anyone eager to get answers about the rise of China as a superpower and its effects on Asia can attend a lecture by renowned author Dr Martin Jacques.

The lecture, titled “China and the World in the 21st Century”, will be held at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations’ (IDFR) auditorium in Kuala Lumpur at 10am on Nov 5.

Dr Jacques, the author of the bestselling book When China Rules the World, was a journalist in Britain.

He served as the editor of London-based monthly Marxism Today and deputy editor of The Independent newspaper. He has also contributed to other newspapers as a columnist.

Dr Jacques is now a senior fellow at Cambridge University’s Depart­ment of Politics and International Studies. He is also a visiting professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing.

His thesis on the rise of China and decline of Western power has had a huge impact on debates in political and economic circles globally.

The lecture is organised by International Movement for a Just World (JUST) and IDFR.

“People in Malaysia and elsewhere know about China’s role largely through media outlets controlled by Western interests.

“They do not have a balanced picture of China,” said JUST president Dr Chandra Muzaffar.

He pointed out that initiatives started by China such as the Belt and Road along with the Asian Infra­structure Investment Bank were only vaguely known.

He said ties between Malaysia and China had taken tremendous strides after 42 years of diplomatic ties, having co-operation in economics, politics and security.