24
October 2018
Past Event
The Mark Palmer Forum: China’s Global Challenge to Democratic Freedom

The Mark Palmer Forum: China’s Global Challenge to Democratic Freedom

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
October 24, 2018
(Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Caption
(Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images)
24
October 2018
Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

Speakers:
Michael J. Abramowitz

President, Freedom House

Jonas Parello-Plesner

Executive Director, Alliance of Democracies Foundation

Sarah Cook

Senior Research Analyst, East Asia, Freedom House

Juan Pablo Cardenal

Researcher, Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America’s Advisory Council

Laura Rosenberger

Director, Alliance for Securing Democracy and Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund

Carolyn Bartholomew

Vice Chair, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission

Xiao Qiang

Adjunct Professor, School of Information, University of California, Berkeley

Jan Jekielek

Producer, NTD Television and Senior Editor, The Epoch Times

Peter Mattis

Research Fellow, China Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and Contributing Editor, War on the Rocks

Bay Fang

Executive Editor, Radio Free Asia

Josh Rogin

Columnist, Global Opinions, Washington Post and Political Analyst, CNN

Rachelle Peterson

Policy Director, National Association of Scholars

Dr. Teng Biao

Visiting Scholar, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard University

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

Former Security Reporter, The Daily Beast

Perry Link

Professor Emeritus, East Asian Studies, Princeton University

Isaac Stone Fish

Senior Fellow, Center on U.S.-China Relations, Asia Society

michael_pillsbury
Michael Pillsbury

Former Senior Fellow and Director for Chinese Strategy

The Hudson Institute and Freedom House's Mark Palmer Forum for the Advancement of Democracy held a conference on China’s global challenge to democratic freedom. Three panel discussions brought together experts and activists to share cutting edge research, analyze recent trends, and consider potential responses.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under General Secretary Xi Jinping has put enormous financial and political resources into expanding its influence abroad. Xi has elevated the importance of United Front activities, which rely on co-opting the Chinese diaspora and building relationships with Western enablers.

In democracies, CCP influence operations target politicians, business people, academia, the media, and the Chinese diaspora. CCP and Chinese government funding has also intruded into the realm of ideas, influencing think tanks, academia, newspapers, and other media outlets. The CCP, by changing how democracies speak and think about China, is attempting to make “the world safe” for its ongoing efforts to deepen its authoritarianism at home and extend its influence internationally.

The Mark Palmer Forum for the Advancement of Democracy honors the legacy of Ambassador Mark Palmer, long-time Freedom House trustee and vice chairman. The Palmer Forum includes an annual conference with leading policymakers and experts, and programs by human rights defenders and leading digital activists, exploring ways to improve global prospects for strengthening human rights and democracy.

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