The Economic Observer is teaming up with the French Embassy to host a series of public events to discuss the concept of soft power. The first forum will take place in Beijing on May 6, 2013. This will be the first of five forums that will be held around the country from May to October this year.

Host: The French Embassy in China, The Economic Observer, Economic Observer Online
Co-Host: French D'Alembert Foundation

Topic: Are there Rules that Govern How Soft Power is Exercised?
Date: May 6, 2013, 1pm-4:45pm
Location: Lecture Hall, French Embassy in Beijing
Language: Chinese/French - simultaneous interpretation

Agenda
13:30-14:00: Audience arrives
14:00-14:10: Introduction
14:10-14:30: Michel Foucher："Soft Power：Myths and Reality"
14:30-15:00: Zhang Guoqing："The Rise of Nations and the Chinese Dream"
15:00-15:30: Michel Godet："Constructing a Soft Power Future：Three Attitudes and Five Questions"
15:30-16:00: Chen Xiaohe："The 'Soft Spots' of China's Soft Power"
16:00-16:45: Open Discussion

Introduction to Speakers

Michel Foucher
Michel Foucher is a French geographer, geopolitical researcher and diplomat and is currently an adviser to the African Union (Addis Ababa) Peace and Security Council. During his career with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Foucher worked as an advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1998-2002), Director of the Centre for Analysis and Policy Planning of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1999-2002) and was French ambassador to Latvia (2002-2006). He is also a member of the scientific committee of the Robert Schuman Foundation. Mr Foucher has also served as a professor of geography and geopolitics at the Ecole Normale Supérieure and as Director of Studies at the Institute for Higher National Defense Studies. Mr. Foucher has a PhD from the Sorbonne University. His research deals with border dynamics in the world and the territorial impact of geopolitical changes. Foucher is the author of a great many books, including L'Europe entre géopolitiques et géographies (2009).

Michel Godet
Michel Godet is a full professor at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in France (CNAM), where he holds the Chair in Strategic Prospective. He is also a fellow of the French Academy of Technology and member of the French Council of Economic Analysis reporting to the Prime Minister. He serves on the boards of a number of think-tanks such as the Institute Montaigne and Robert Schuman European Foundation and since 2003 as facilitator for the Circle of Entrepreneurs of the Future (which he founded), a program of the Fondation Prospective et innovation. Professor. Godet has published many works, including "Strategic Foresight for Corporate and Regional Development" which has been translated into Chinese.

Mr. Zhang Guoqing
Mr. Zhang Guoqing (张国庆) is a researcher at the Institute of American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). Zhang's main research areas are U.S. media, America's global strategy and American politics but he was also among the earliest commentators to accurately predict how negotiations regarding North Korea's nuclear ambitions would develop.

Dr. Cheng Xiaohe
Dr. Cheng Xiaohe (成晓河) is an Associate Professor at the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China. His main research focus is on China's foreign relations, with a particular focus on the United States. Dr. Cheng worked for the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, and was a visiting scholar at Fairbank Center of Harvard University from 1997 to 1998. In 2007, he taught Chinese foreign relations and Chinese politics at Ireland's Dublin Business School. Dr. Cheng's recently published articles are mainly related to China's relations with both North and South Korea and India. Dr. Cheng did his undergraduate works in international politics in Fudan University, Shanghai, and earned his doctorate in political science from Boston University.

Introduction in Chinese - 【2013年度中法软实力论坛】

To register for the event, please e-mail english@eeo.com.cn
If you have any questions you can contact Pang Lei on +86 (10) 5227 1366 - 1236