RSIS Seminar by Colonel Robert S. Spalding III, USAF, Chief of the China, Taiwan and Mongolia Division, J-5 Joint Staff, U.S. Department of Defense

Lecture Abstract:

President Barack Obama’s ninth trip to the Asia Pacific in late 2015 reflects the growing importance of the region to the United States and his administration’s commitment to advancing U.S. Rebalance. As the world’s most economically robust region, with one-third of the global GDP, the Asia Pacific region has increasingly been seen as the political and economic centre of the world. With high rates of economic development, the capabilities of its military forces have also grown in tandem, and led to a reconfiguration of its security landscape.

As the world’s only superpower, the United States sees itself as having both the political will and the ability to address the new forms of security threats that have begun to emerge in the post Cold War period. In the face of the diverse range of challenges and new opportunities, U.S. military strategy has also evolved with the changing environment, and reflects the nuanced nature of American security policy in engaging with the key regional actors in to protect the interests of the U.S. and its allies by safeguarding regional stability that has been a key enabler of the dynamism and economic progress witnessed in the Asia Pacific.

During his seminar, Colonel Spalding will highlight the key issues in the U.S. Rebalance and unpack its strategic intent, as well as share insights into the opportunities and challenges in advancing the U.S. policy.

About the Speaker:

ROBERT S. SPALDING III is a Colonel with the United States Air Force, and is currently serving as chief of the China, Taiwan and Mongolia Division in the J-5 Joint Staff based in the Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia. Colonel Spalding received his B.S. and M.S. from Fresno State University, and his PhD from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. He is conversant in Chinese-Mandarin as well as Spanish.