Wong MNC Center News

November 23rd, 2023
In late October, Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, Founding Executive Director of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations (Wong MNC Center), gave a talk to the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy, Royal University of Cambodia (Phnom Penh). During his talk, entitled, “How do We Approach International Relations as an IR Scholar? The Case of China’s Digital Silk Road in Malaysia and Thailand,” Dr. Blanchard discussed how some of these terms might be defined, offered some thoughts on what it means to be an “IR Scholar” in terms of what one researches and how one should conduct research. Dr. Blanchard talked about the Wong MNC Center’s multi-year project on China’s Digital Silk Road Initiative (DSR) and discussed two DSR case studies within the framework of his argument about how one should approach international relations as an IR scholar. After his talk concluded, Dr.
November 23rd, 2023
An October 21, 2023 story in Asian Sentinel entitled “Reduced BRI Expected to Offer Less Money” an interview with various experts including Dr. Jean-Marc. F. Blanchard, Founding Executive Director of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations. The story pondered the future of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with some forecasting that China would spend much less on the BRI while others projected that the BRI would emphasize “smaller,” “greener,” and more “beautiful” projects going forward. The piece also highlighted the reduced attendance of top leaders, particularly Southeast Asian leaders, at the 3rd Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in late October. Dr. Blanchard offered comments on the future prospects of the BRI.
November 23rd, 2023
On October 12, 2024, Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, Founding Executive Director of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations (Wong MNC Center), met with Professor Pongphisoot Busbarat, Assistant Dean & Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science, and Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies, both at Chulalongkorn University (Thailand). Among other topics, they discussed Thai-China economic and political relations and their prospects, the contemporary state and effect of Chinese investment and contracting in Thailand, the research emphases of Professor Busbarat’s Department, and potential areas for future research collaboration. Dr. Blanchard presented Professor Busbarat with copies of the Wong MNC Center’s three-part series on China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative (Palgrave, 2018, 2019, and 2021).
November 23rd, 2023
In early October, Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, Founding Executive Director of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations (Wong MNC Center) participated in a workshop entitled “Mapping Fictitious Narratives: The Circulation and Persistence of the Chinese Debt Trap Narrative” at the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies (USA). This workshop, which drew individuals from academic, research center/think tank policymakers, and government from around the world, pondered the birth, spread, and persistence of the Chinese “debt trap” narrative. Dr. Blanchard offered his thoughts about the persistence of the narrative, the downsides of its continued use, and the ways business associations and countries are dealing with it. He also identified some shortcomings regarding analyses of the narrative’s persistence and suggested some potentially fruitful case studies for understanding its persistence.
August 26th, 2023
Dr. Sebastian Bersick has joined the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations as a Senior Research Fellow. Dr. Bersick is Professor of International Political Economy of East Asia and Vice-Dean, Faculty of East Asian Studies, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany). He also is the Executive Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for European Union (EU)-Asia Connectivity. For more information, please visit https://mnccenter.org/research-fellows.
August 26th, 2023
On August 13, 2023, Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, Founding Executive Director of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations, was interviewed by Asian Sentinel regarding the arrest in Hong Kong of the chairman of Brilliance China Automotive Holdings and the arrest’s potential implications for its joint venture partners, which include BMW and Renault. According to Asian Sentinel, Brilliance manufactures and sells certain types of cars, mini-buses, and other vehicles in China for these German and French automobile firms. Dr. Blanchard suggested to Asian Sentinel that events like this can be potentially disruptive to operations because they produce uncertainty as employees await further information and guidance, create emotional distress, and induce extreme cautiousness. Blanchard further observed that episodes like this also fuel reputational risks that may impose costs on joint venture partners as they try to minimize them.
July 16th, 2023
On July 12, 2023, Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, Executive Director of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations (Wong MNC Center), led a panel entitled “Diving into Chinese Overseas Ports in Europe” which was arranged for the 17th annual gathering of the “China Goes Global” conference (Bologna, Italy). The purpose of this panel was to disseminate the findings of the Wong MNC Center orchestrated book Chinese Overseas Ports in Europe and the Americas (Routledge, 2023). Professor David Styan, Ms. Kirsten Kaare Jensen, Professor Sebastian Bersick, and Professor Francesca Spigarelli and Dr. Dominique Lepore gave presentations on, respectively, Chinese involved ports in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greenland, and the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. Dr. Blanchard summarized the book’s conclusions, highlighted various unknowns, and offered recommendations for future study.
June 20th, 2023
Dr. THAM Siew Yean has joined the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations as a Senior Research Fellow. She is Emeritus Professor at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia) as well as Visiting Senior Fellow at Regional Economic Studies (RES), ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. For more information, please visit https://mnccenter.org/research-fellows.
June 8th, 2023
In late May, Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, Founding Executive Director of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations (“Wong MNC Center”), met with Dr. NGEOW Chow Bing, the Director of Institute of China Studies at the University of Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur. Dr. Blanchard spoke to Dr. Ngeow about various aspects of Chinese investment in Malaysia, updated him on the research and other activities of the Wong MNC Center, and presented him with copies of the Wong MNC Center orchestrated three-book series on China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative. These books will become part of the Institute of China Studies research library.
June 8th, 2023
In early April, C. Lawrence Greenwood, a long-time member of the Advisory Board for the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations (“Wong MNC Center”), became a member of the Board of Directors. Larry is Senior Adviser at BowerGroupAsia and also Japan Society of Northern California (JSNC) Board Chairman. From 2016-2019, he was JSNC President. Previously, he was Senior Managing Director for Government Relations in Asia for MetLife. From 2006 to 2011, he served as Vice President at the Asian Development Bank. He served as US Ambassador to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group from 2000-2003 and retired in 2006 as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Economic Bureau of the State Department.

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