Former U.S. Ambassador James Moriarty addressed the university community on Wednesday evening about the shifting political climates of China, Japan, India, Indonesia and Myanmar, by pulling from his own experiences of working in countries throughout Asia.
Alyssa Baugh | Argonaut Ambassador James Moriarty presented his speech entitled “Asia’s Nation States and Other Actors: Opportunities and Challenges for the U.S.” at this year’s first Martin Forum.
In his speech, Moriarty shared insight on how America is affected by world affairs, particularly in Asia. He mentioned America’s efforts regarding different issues and where he thinks the U.S. can go from here.
“This world is indeed a messy and complex place,” he said. “The U.S. ignores the outside world at its own peril. Asia is the one place that represents the most opportunities and perhaps the biggest conflicts to America.”
The event was hosted by the UI Martin Institute through it’s speaker series known as the Martin Forum.
The Martin Institute is a program devoted to researching the causes of conflicts worldwide and how peaceful solutions can be facilitated. As part of the or- ganization,theMartinForumisa series of talks and seminars open to the public — especially students of the university — wherein speakers get a chance to connect with students who hope to establish a career in global politics or foreign service.
“By using the resources of the Martin Institute, we bring way more to the student as opposed to just academics,” said Romuald
Afatchao, associate director of the institute. “We get them involved in research, we bring speakers to the Martin Forum and the Visit- ing Distinguished Practitioner of International Affairs, and we bring opportunities like spotlight seminars.”
Moriarty was the first of many to speak this academic year in the Martin Forum series. His presentation, titled “Asia’s Nation States and Other Actors: Oppor- tunities and Challenges for the U.S.,” got the audience thinking about a part of the world that is sometimes overlooked in inter- national politics.
According to Moriarty, sleeping giants like India are now waking up. He said in the past 40 years, Asia — particularly China — has become a major player in the world politically and economically. It represents two-thirds of America’s exports, a high number of U.S. immigrants and is the industrial workshop of the world.
He said changes in U.S. foreign policy are driven by changes in the outside world, as events like the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the Soviet takeoverofEasternEuropehave proven in history.
“China’s rise could be a posi- tive development,” Moriarty said. “However, China’s behavior on the international stage has changed. It has repeatedly insist- ed that it will never back down and has used armed vessels and fighter planes to back up those territorial claims.”
He said under the Obama administration the U.S. responded with a plan called “Rebalance,” or the “pivot to Asia.” As part of the plan, efforts were made by the U.S. government — especially diplomats and ambassadors like Moriarty — to strengthen alliances, engage with multilevel institutions, increase trade and spread democracy.
Most importantly, he said, the U.S. focused on advancing key interests in the Asian-Pacific region.
Still, Moriarty said Asian friends of the U.S. fear that the po- tential for confrontation between the U.S. and China — or one of its allies — is increasing, not so much because of the Rebalance, but because of China’s assertiveness in the region.
“If I were to pick the single most important part of the Rebalance, it would be the commitment to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” he said. “Whenever pos- sible, US organizations should link up with, support and work with their Asian counterparts.”
By combining the forum with the Visiting Distinguished Persons of International Affairs, Moriarty was able to spend a week at the Martin Institute engaging with students in a casual setting. He was also able to talk to classes related to his field, including Afatchao’s globalization course.
“As an international studies major, just hearing about the ex- periences that he’s had makes me want to do what I’m here to study even more,” said Graham Zickefoose, a first-year student majoring in international studies. “The stories that he and his wife have are utterly fascinating.”
Moriarty said the future of the U.S. is partially dependent on its relationship with Asia, and that growing scholars should pay particular attention to that area of international politics.
“Think about what you can do more to take advantage of the opportunities that flow from U.S.- Asia relations,” Moriarty said. “For better or for worse, the future of the United States is tied to the future of Asia.”
Alyssa Baugh can be reached at [email protected]