RSIS Colloquium by Mr Randal Phillips, Ngee Ann Kongsi Professor of International Relations, RSIS; and Managing Partner for Asia, The Mintz Group

Lecture Abstract:

The Chinese military has enjoyed double digit annual growth for each of the past 20 years in a concerted effort to modernize its military in line with China’s global ambitions and interests. It has been an impressive effort, and in virtually all categories of development China has met or exceeded all of its goals. More recently, in recognition of its need to project force and protect global supply lines, Xi Jinping has put in place a long discussed reorganization of the PLA Command Structure, one that provides more command coordination and bureaucratic strength to the Navy and Air Force, but leaves the Army – long the lead organization in the PLA – in a relatively weaker position.  This change is being met with passive resistance at a minimum. During his lecture, Randal Phillips will discuss the ramifications of China’s military modernization effort, where things stand in its current capacities, how this change is affecting regional and global power balances, and what we might expect of the PLA of the future.

About the Speaker:

RANDAL PHILLIPS is Managing Partner for Asia of the Mintz Group, and correspondingly manages the Group’s activities across Asia. Randy spent 28 years with the Central Intelligence Agency’s National Clandestine Service, most recently serving as the Chief CIA representative in China. He has an extensive background in foreign field operations, policy and programme management, and leadership development. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Bahasa Indonesia.

Randy has lived and traveled extensively throughout China and elsewhere in Asia for the U.S. Government.

Additionally, he has managed worldwide and regional programmes from Washington. Randy has extensive relationships with officials and business leaders throughout the continent, and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China.

Randy has deep expertise on issues relative to Asia, with particular emphasis on China. This includes an intimate knowledge of the full range of political, economic, trade, investment and security issues involving China, from a bilateral as well as a multilateral perspective. Randy has extensive experience unraveling a variety of complex matters involving finance, trade and fraud.

Randy has a B.A. in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs from Miami University, and a Masters of International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.