Professor Susanne WEIGELIN-SCHWIEDRZIK (University of Vienna)

Tuesday, 07 January 2025 | 13:15-14:45 | HS 888 | Forum Asia Pacific | Sigmund-Haffner Gasse 18 | Salzburg

Since the mid-19th century, it has become clear that there are two contenders for regional hegemony in East Asia. With its defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War, Japan won this competition for the first time and imposed a form of rule on the region that combined Chinese rule with the approach of European colonial powers.

The division of East Asia into two camps after the Second World War initially led to a stalemate between the two rivals, but it took less than 20 years for Japan to achieve by economic means what it had previously failed to achieve by military means. It became the dominant regional power and a rival to the global power of the US.

With China’s rapid economic development since 1978, the cards have been reshuffled again. Now it is China that is making its presence felt as a hegemonic power in the region and, like Japan before it, is acting as a competitor to the US.

Further information: https://www.plus.ac.at/abteilung-fuer-internationale-beziehungen/forumasiapacific/lehrveranstaltungen-2-2/agora-lecture-series/