Energy- and Geopolitics in China and USA

ThinkChina, the Danish Foreign Policy Society and the Centre for Military Studies at University of Copenhagen invite you to a public lecture by Professor Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller on energy- and geopolitics in China and USA.

Abstract

Over the last ten years, US has swung from being the third biggest net importer of energy to become a net exporter. US has experienced massive repercussions, not only on energy markets, but also with regard to the global economy and geopolitics. The main driver behind this change, has been LNG&Fracking – i.e. the liquidation of natural gas. The problem is that markets now are no longer fully stable, so the increase in output cannot be sold at a reasonable price unless some of the existing suppliers are squeezed out. US try to do so in agreements with countries such as Saudi-Arabia, Qatar and Iran. Here, China’s role is pivotal because the only market big enough is the Chinese market. China, however, will demand something in return for giving US a share of its market. Energy is the canary in the coal mine announcing a US wanting to be less dependent on the rest of the world. And Trump is not ephemeral. He draws the logical consequence of declining US power and global engagement by realigning commitments to the global system with benefits. The response is a US less globally orientated and more ‘autarkic’. This will be an opening for China to enhance its global power.

Bio: 

Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller has been a prominent voice in debates about the political economy and international politics for decades. He is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) and an Adjunct Professor at Singapore Management University & Copenhagen Business School. Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller is the author of a number of books, most recently The Veil of Circumstance: Technology, Values, Dehumanization and the Future of Economics and Politics (2016).

Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller has lived in Singapore for many years, where he was appointed Danish ambassador in 1997. In 2005 he retired from diplomatic service – a position which is preceded by a career as Permanent Secretary in the Danish Foreign Ministry and ambassador in Southeast Asia and Oceania – in addition to Singapore, Brunei, Australia and New Zealand. 

Moreover, Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller holds an Honorary Degree from the University of Copenhagen’s alumni association (UCPH Alumni) and is a member of the Global Advisory Council, World Future Society.

Practical information: 

Time: 27/2-2018 16:00 - 17:30

Place: Center for Sundhed og Samfund (CSS), Auditorium 35.01.06, Gammeltoftgade 13, 1355 Kbh.