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Visiting Fellow Dr Stephen Noakes Lectures at Peking University
03/06/2018 – Peking University hosted Dr Stephen Noakes as a Visiting Fellow，from the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Auckland. During his visit, Dr Noakes presented a seminar to an engaged audience of specialists and students at the Department of International Relations.
Dr Stephen Noakes visited Peking University as a Visiting Fellow, from the Department of Asian Studies, and the Department of Politics and International Relations, at the University of Auckland. On 6 th June, he presented his seminar to staff and students at the Department of International Relations. Dr Noakes arrived at Peking University on June 3rd, for a week-long visit to Beijing as a Visiting Fellow to deepen his research and explore possible research collaboration possibilities with academics at Peking University. He was hosted by Professor Zha Daojiong, from the International Political Economy at the School of International Studies. This was a fruitful exchange, with the Professors exchanging influential contacts to expand their research.
Dr Stephen Noakes is welcomed by Centre intern Mia Chung and other PKU students On June 6th, Dr Noakes delivered his seminar entitled “The South Pacific: Ready to connect with China’s Belt and Road?” at the School of International Relations. This received a very positive reception and followed by an extended animated discussion. In his seminar Stephen Noakes discussed China’s involvement in the South Pacific through aid provision. The majority of aid provided by China is delivered in the form of transport and heavy machinery. Current Chinese involvement is usually negotiated bilaterally, on a project by project basis. In this way, China’s aid delivery to the South Pacific is associated with the One Belt One Road Initiative for common developments.
Dr Stephen Noakes Lecturing at Peking University Dr Noakes also discussed how Chinese influence through aid provision is increasing, and is renegotiating traditional alliances between small island nations and New Zealand and Australia. This is marked by Chinese aid to the region doubling within the last decade, with China becoming the fifth largest donor in 2013. These changing dynamics have the opportunity to give rise to new innovative, institutional design, which can increase collaboration and burden sharing. This is demonstrated by a Trilateral Initiative between the Cook Islands, New Zealand and China, in delivering a water systems project in Rarotonga. This case study provided an experimental framework for future collaboration, and also highlighted that the success of the OBOR investment needs to be accompanied by people-people ties. Finally, Dr Noakes discussed how the small scale of the South Pacific provides an environment wherein small changes are amplified. In this way, Chinese involvement in this region was argued to act as a ‘laboratory’ to observe China’s experimentation in its new role as an aid provider, and the emergence of new institutional design and collaboration. Therefore, while the South Pacific only accounts for a small percentage of total Chinese aid provision, engagement in the South Pacific should not be dismissed as insignificant. Within this context of dynamic change, Dr Noakes identifies the Chinese Aid Industry as an emergent area for research. |
