Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies, NCCU

The Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (hereafter referred to as the "Institute") and the Institute of Chinese Communist Studies magazine co-hosted the "2024 Forum on the Summary of the Situation in Mainland China and Future Development Trends" academic seminar on January 7th at the International Conference Hall on the 5th floor of the Building of Colleges. The even brought together scholars from across the country to engage in in-depth analysis and discussion of various issues, including party and government affairs, economics, society, military, foreign relations, and cross-strait relations in Mainland China. The forum was opened and concluded by Professor Chih-Shian Liou, Director of the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies. The first session was chaired by Professor Yen-Lin Chung, a distinguished professor at the Institute. Professor Chih-Shian Liou, also the Director of the Institute, participated in the discussion, along with invited experts: Professor Wen-Hsuan Tsai, a joint appointment professor at the Institute of International Relations and a researcher at the Institute of Political Science, Academia Sinica; Associate Research Fellow and Deputy Director Chia-Hsuan Wu from the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research; and Associate Research Fellow Wei-Feng Tzeng from the Institute of International Relations at our university. They provided their analysis on party and government affairs, economics, and society, presenting a summary of the situation in these areas and an outlook for future trends in 2024. Regarding party and government affairs, it was noted that President Xi Jinping has not faced significant challenges; in terms of the economy, internal issues continue to affect China's economy; and in the social domain, there has been an increase in social crime rates. The speakers' insightful presentations allowed the attendees to gain a more nuanced understanding of the internal developments in Mainland China in 2024. The second session was chaired by Professor Kun-shuan Chiu, a distinguished professor at the Institute, with Professor Chyungly Lee, a researcher from the Institute of International Relations at our university, as a discussant. The invited speakers were Assistant Professor Ying-Yu Lin from the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies at Tamkang University, Associate Professor Nien-chung Chang-Liao from the Institute and a research fellow at the Institute of Political Science, Academia Sinica, and Professor Arthur S. Ding, a distinguished professor at the Institute. They discussed military, foreign relations, and cross-strait relations, providing summaries of the current situation in these areas and future trend projections for 2024. On military affairs, they covered changes and reforms in China's military actions; in foreign policy, the shift from "wolf warrior diplomacy" to "panda diplomacy"; and on cross-strait relations, they discussed China's ongoing suppression of Taiwan and its actions in the discourse war. The speakers' excellent presentations also helped the audience gain a clearer understanding of Mainland China's external developments in 2024. The forum was held near the time when former President Donald Trump was re-elected in the United States, attracting nearly 200 faculty members, students, and people from various sectors, as well as a large audience. The forum not only reviewed the developments in Mainland China's various fields in 2024 and future development trends, but also provided insights from scholars on the interactions between the U.S. and China under the new U.S. President Trump. The audience greatly benefited from the discussion. The forum concluded with engaging presentations from scholars and active participation from the audience during the Q&A session, marking the end of the "2024 Forum on the Summary of the Situation in Mainland China and Future Development Trends." The Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies will continue to organize related events, and faculty and students are encouraged to closely follow announcements regarding future events and lectures.

The Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) held the "56th Anniversary Celebration of GIEAS—Graduate Thesis Presentation and Lunch Reception" on December 14. The event attracted a large number of faculty, students, and alumni to participate.

The Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (hereafter referred to as "GIEAS") held a talk on December 5, inviting Professor  You-tien Hsing(邢幼田), Chair of the Department of Geography at the University of California, Berkeley, and Visiting Professor at the School of Social Sciences, National Tsing Hua University. Professor Xing delivered a talk in Chinese titled [內蒙古治沙的生態動員2000-2020] "Ecological Mobilization in Desertification Control in Inner Mongolia (2000-2020)." The talk was chaired by GIEAS Director Chih-Shian Liou and attracted active participation from faculty and students across various departments of the university.

On December 5, GIEAS hosted a "China Fieldwork" workshop, chaired by GIEAS Director Chih-Shian Liou. The workshop featured Professor You-tien Hsing(邢幼田), Chair of the Department of Geography at the University of California, Berkeley, who shared her fieldwork experiences in China. Additionally, three doctoral students from the university were invited to share their past or upcoming fieldwork experiences, as well as their preparations, fostering an exchange of ideas among participants.

On December 4, the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) hosted a special lecture inviting Dr. Ou-Yang Ray (歐陽睿), Assistant Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Tamkang University. Dr. Ou-Yang Ray delivered a lecture titled Nine Days to Build a Chengdu: Insights from Chengdu's Experience on the Prospects of Mainland China's Political and Economic Development," which was chaired by Professor Chien-Wu Hsueh from GIEAS.    

On December 3, the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) hosted a special lecture, inviting Dr. Yiwen You  (尤怡文), a researcher at the Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities, Zhejiang University, to deliver a talk titled [鏡像中國：理論、歷史、現場迷離的交錯]"Mirroring China: The Interweaving of Theory, History, and the Mysterious Realities of the Present." Professor Chien-Wu Hsueh chaired the talk from GIEAS, and GIEAS Director Chih-Shian Liou was also in attendance. The event attracted a full audience of students eager to listen.

On November 13, the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) hosted a special lecture featuring Yun-Hsuan Chu (朱韻璇), Director of Foxconn Technology Group's On-time International Supply Chain Project Management Office, who spoke on "The Development of E-commerce and E-commerce Logistics in China: Core Drivers of Economic Growth." The lecture, delivered in Mandarin, was chaired by GIEAS Director Chih-Shian Liou and attracted enthusiastic participation from students across various departments of the university. The lecture was divided into four sections, where Director Chu thoroughly explored the current state and future trends of China's e-commerce and logistics industries. She began by introducing China's annual "Double 11" shopping event, using it as an entry point to discuss the rapid rise of e-commerce in the country and its profound impact on the logistics industry. Chu highlighted how the development of e-commerce is closely linked to advancements in logistics. She reviewed the four key stages of e-commerce growth in China: from its initial emergence in 1997, to the online payment breakthroughs achieved by platforms like Taobao, Alipay, and WeChat Pay in 2003, followed by the launch of the Double 11 promotion in 2009, which spurred the entire e-commerce industry. This, in turn, reinforced the critical role of logistics in e-commerce operations. Since 2015, e-commerce has entered a phase of transformation and differentiation, with intense market competition, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rise of live-streaming culture further driving the diversification of e-commerce, fostering a mutually reinforcing "co-evolution" between e-commerce and logistics. Next, Chu discussed the current state of e-commerce logistics in China. She pointed out that China's express delivery industry has gone through four development phases, with many courier companies experiencing multiple rounds of competition and consolidation. Key players in the market today include the "STO Express" group from Zhejiang, along with SF Express and others. Although SF Express currently holds the smallest market share among the six major express companies, it leads in revenue due to its focus on high-value goods transportation. Chu also analyzed how Chinese e-commerce platforms are increasingly prioritizing their own logistics systems, citing examples like Alibaba's Cainiao, JD.com's JD Logistics, and Pinduoduo's Jitu Express, all of which are committed to enhancing their in-house logistics operations to improve efficiency. In the third section, Chu elaborated on the operational models of e-commerce logistics. She noted that while the profit margins in the logistics industry are typically low, the overall operation is highly complex, integrating B2C and traditional B2B logistics strategies. She introduced two main logistics models: JD Logistics' integrated warehousing and distribution system, and the point-to-point delivery model primarily used by network-based express services. She emphasized how JD Logistics has established warehouses in six major cities to shorten delivery times to consumers, while network express services rely on centralized warehouses for tiered distribution across the country. Finally, Chu analyzed three of the most representative e-commerce logistics service providers: JD Logistics, Cainiao, and SF Express. JD Logistics, an independent company within the JD Group, not only handles orders for JD.com but also accepts external orders. JD Logistics focuses on a heavy-asset model, investing in warehouses to strengthen consumer-side smart supply chain management. In contrast, Cainiao Logistics, which handles all orders from Alibaba, operates with a platform-based technology model, collaborating with various suppliers and courier companies to enhance logistics efficiency without owning physical warehouses. SF Express, specializing in high-end goods and fresh produce, leads the industry with its cold-chain logistics technology. When it comes to asset investments, SF Express primarily invests in aircraft and airports, while JD Logistics focuses on warehouses, resulting in different models for fast product delivery. At the conclusion of her lecture, Chu shared her views on future logistics industry trends, predicting a stronger emphasis on smart packaging, green packaging, autonomous truck deliveries, and supply chain control towers. This lecture was the second in GIEAS's "China Economic Special Topics" series.  Director Yun-Hsuan Chu not only shared the operational models of On-time and key Chinese e-commerce and logistics companies but also integrated personal experiences to provide insights into daily consumer practices in China, offering attendees a deeper understanding of the development of e-commerce and logistics in the country. During the subsequent Q&A session, several students raised questions about Foxconn's logistics needs, Chinese government subsidies, and drone deliveries, and Chu engaged in lively, in-depth discussions with the attendees. Director Liou announced that similar topic-focused lectures would be held in the future and encouraged students and faculty to stay informed about upcoming events and lectures organized by the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies.

On October 1st, the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) hosted a special lecture by Kang-Yi Liang  (梁康儀), Director of the Supply Chain Innovation Products Department at Foxconn Technology Group, titled "China's Supply Chain Changes in the Context of Global Economic Development." The lecture, conducted in Chinese, was hosted by Professor Chih-Shian Liou, Director of the Institute, and attracted students from various disciplines, media professionals, and industry representatives. Liang's lecture covered four main topics. First, she introduced the changing trends in the global supply chain, which have evolved from globalization to regionalization, long chains, short chains, and now to self-sufficient chains and multi-chains. In other words, the movement of a product's supply chain involves thousands of upstream and downstream industries and is not simply determined by a single brand or manufacturer. Supply chain changes must be observed from the movement of entire industries. The current international trend clearly positions China at the core of the global supply chain, following a "China + N" model. However, this will continue to shift in response to changes in national policies. As of now, we are still in the fifth wave of supply chain relocation, where the overall competitiveness of a country's manufacturing sector is assessed not only by labor costs but also by taxes, energy, exchange rates, and labor productivity. No other country has yet fully replaced China's role in the global supply chain. Second, Liang analyzed five major manufacturing countries—China, the United States, Vietnam, India, and Mexico—comparing their export volumes. China outperforms the U.S., while Mexico surpasses India and Vietnam. In recent years, nearshoring has become a global trend due to the balancing of cost and distance. For instance, Mexico serves as a nearshore outsourcing hub for the U.S. As nearshoring levels rise, supply chains will become more diversified, and full outsourcing will be limited to products that are less sensitive to cost. Although nearshoring is gaining popularity, supply chain relocation still faces challenges, such as economic conditions, wages, and technology in the destination countries. Issues like language barriers and the need for skilled labor teams and supply chain management support in countries like Mexico, India, and Vietnam remain crucial considerations. Cooperation with the original management teams in China is an important factor in these transitions. Third, Liang discussed the supply chain strategies of China and the United States. In recent years, the U.S. has adopted a strategy of prioritizing U.S. manufacturing, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and “friendshoring” with Taiwan, ASEAN, India, and Eastern Europe. U.S. policy has sought to reduce dependency on China and embrace a "China + N" approach, which has led Mexico to surpass China as the largest source of U.S. imports. Data shows that the increase in U.S. imports from Mexico, Vietnam, Taiwan, Canada, India, Singapore, Thailand, and Italy is roughly equivalent to the reduction in imports from China. On the other hand, China's exports to ASEAN and other countries have increased, offsetting the decline in exports to the U.S. This indicates an imbalanced dependence between the two countries. The reality of the supply chain shift shows that while the U.S. wants to hinder China's growth in high-tech sectors, it is still difficult to decouple from China in areas like small goods and semi-finished products. According to 2023 data from CEPR, U.S. tariffs affect 18% of imports, while China's countermeasures impact 11%. These tariffs have raised the cost of two-thirds of the products imported by the U.S. Liang quoted Professor Keyu Jin from the London School of Economics, who wrote in The New China Playbook: "China moved from copier to a leader, and now it is head-to-head with the U.S. Both countries are ahead, and no one can catch up with them. Whoever wins this battle, will be the leader of the future. It is a control game." Lastly, Liang discussed China's "14th Five-Year Plan," which emphasizes the dual circulation strategy—both domestic and international. Chinese exports have shifted from the "old three" (clothing, home appliances, and furniture) to the "new three" (electric vehicles, solar panels, and lithium batteries), marking an industrial upgrade. China's supply chain no longer relies solely on cheap labor (the "old three") but is based on technological innovation and manufacturing ecosystems (the "new production power"). Despite the U.S.'s efforts to contain China, China has leveraged policy support to drive the development and transformation of its supply chain technology, optimize manufacturing, expand domestic demand and openness, and promote consumption. As a result, China is positioning itself as a "dual core" in both international supply and demand. In this context, the outward movement of China's supply chain is also driving the relocation of the entire upstream and downstream supply chains. Emerging production bases may appear to absorb much of the production capacity, but Chinese companies are also moving abroad with the shift of industries. Of course, Chinese businesses expanding overseas will face challenges related to the complexity and variability of short and multi-chain supply chains, including uncertainties in delivery times, increased delivery locations, and supply chain collaboration. As an important internal supply chain management unit within Foxconn, it is rare for professionals to speak publicly. The Institute was fortunate to have the opportunity to invite Director Liang to share her insights on global economic development and changes in China's supply chain. During the Q&A session after the lecture, many students showed keen interest in Foxconn's recent investment in its Zhengzhou factory and the ongoing competition between the U.S. and China in high-tech sectors. Liang answered the questions thoughtfully and recommended Keyu Jin's The New China Playbook, which provides a fresh perspective on China's economy and practical insights. Director Liou announced that similar thematic lectures would be held in the future, encouraging faculty and students to stay tuned for announcements on upcoming events and lectures.

On May 10, the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) held the second research methods lecture of the semester, inviting Dr. Mao-chia Sun (孫懋嘉), Professor of the Department of Journalism and Executive Director of the Big Data Center at the National Defense University's Political Warfare College. Dr. Sun delivered a lecture titled "Introduction to Statistical Analysis for Graduate Students: A Quick Guide to 'Mediation' and 'Moderation' Analysis." Dr. Sun, who earned his Ph.D. in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, specializes in communication statistical analysis. The lecture was chaired by Professor Hsueh Chien-Wu from GIEAS, with Associate Professor Wang Yun also participating in the event. The lecture attracted a full audience of students eager to learn.

On May 1, the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) hosted a talk inviting Professor Fang Qiang (方強), Professor of History, Political Science, and International Relations at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and President of the American Association for Chinese Social Science Scholars. Professor Fang delivered a talk in Chinese titled [毛澤東時期的中國信訪制度] "The Chinese Petitioning System During the Mao Zedong Era." Professor Fang's research focuses on Chinese law and Chinese politics. The seminar was chaired by Professor Wen-Hsuan Tsai, a joint faculty member at GIEAS, and attracted a full audience of faculty and students eager to learn.

    On April 17, the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) invited Professor  Yung-Chun Chang (張詠淳) from the Institute of Big Data Science and Management at Taipei Medical University, also the Deputy Director of the Data Office, to give a talk titled [生成式AI於社會科學的機會與挑戰] "Opportunities and Challenges of Generative AI in Social Sciences." The lecture was chaired by Professor Chien-Wu Hsueh from GIEAS, with Distinguished Professor and Director Yen-Lin Chung, Associate Professor Yun Wang, Joint Appointment Professor Chia-Hung Tsai, and Professor Ping-Kuei Chen from the Department of Diplomacy also in attendance. The event attracted over thirty students eager to learn.

On April 2, the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) hosted the second session of the "Chinese Military and Taiwan Strait Security" talk series. This time, Dr. Ying-Yu Lin (林穎佑), Assistant Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Tamkang University, delivered a talk titled [中共對臺『資訊戰』的近期發展與應對] "Recent Developments and Responses to China's Information Warfare Against Taiwan." Dr. Lin's research expertise includes the study of the People's Liberation Army, homeland security, information security, Indo-Pacific security, and strategic studies. The talk was chaired by GIEAS Distinguished Professor and Director Yen-Lin Chung, with Dr. Yi-Suo Tzeng, Associate Researcher at the National Defense and Security Research Institute's Cybersecurity and Decision Simulation Research Division, invited as a discussant. GIEAS Honorary Professor Arthur S. Ding and Professor Chien-Wu Hsueh also attended the event. The lecture attracted a full audience of faculty and students eager to participate.  

On March 19, the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) hosted the first session of the "Chinese Military and Taiwan Strait Security" talk series, inviting Dr. AnHao Huang (黃恩浩), Associate Research at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, to deliver a talk titled [中共武警部隊的改革與發展]"Reform and Development of China's Armed Police Forces." Dr. AnHao Huang is an alumnus of GIEAS, having graduated from the 31st Master's class. His research expertise includes defense strategy, international relations and strategic culture, China's maritime strategy, and Indo-Pacific regional security issues. The talk was chaired by GIEAS Distinguished Professor and Director Yen-Lin Chung, with GIEAS Honorary Professor Arthur S. Ding serving as a discussant. The event attracted a full audience of faculty and students eager to attend.  

On February 2, 2024, the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies (GIEAS) hosted a visiting seminar with a delegation of scholars from the Institute of Chinese Studies at Incheon National University, South Korea.