As China’s participation in global politics and culture increases, so does its power. But is the country ready to lead? This and other pertinent questions will be explored on Tuesday, December 4, at 7pm at York Public Library. Retired Foreign Service Officer and China expert Matt Ward will present “The Eagle and the Dragon: A New Geopolitics of the 21^st Century.”

The Library is collaborating with the Camden Conference 2019 to offer this timely program. “Is this China’s Century?” is the theme of this year’s conference, a 2-day symposium led by experts from China, East Asia, Europe, and the United States that will analyze a wide range of topics and issues regarding the emergence of China as a global power. The Conference will be held at the Camden Opera House, February 22-24 and satellite programs will be held in select public libraries in the months leading up to the Conference.

Matt Ward made a career of foreign diplomacy, having served the United States from 1967 to 1996 in several countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, Haiti, Iran, Thailand, and China. He pioneered the refugee processing system for “boat people” arriving on the shores of Indonesia and Singapore, and under his directorship in Taiwan, scores of U.S. diplomats were trained in Chinese language, culture, economics, history, and politics.

Ward’s expertise earned him a position in both the Bush and Clinton administrations, where he served as Director for European Economies in Transition. This office oversaw trade, developmental, and humanitarian policies for nation-states that manifested after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. In addition, Ward has served on numerous councils, boards, committees, and associations.

Ward will field questions from the audience at the end of the presentation.

Biographical Information on the speaker

Matt Ward is a retired Foreign Service Officer.  He is Past-President of the World Affairs Council of Maine and has been an Adjunct Professor at the USM School of Social Work where he taught multicultural social work, and in the Political Science Department where he taught modern Chinese politics.  He currently lectures on international issues and consults on cross-cultural matters. 

Matt Ward served the United States as a career Foreign Service Officer from 1967 to 1996.  Specializing in economic, developmental and humanitarian issues, Matt served in Vietnam (CORDS), Cambodia, Haiti, Myanmar, Iran, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Luxembourg, China (including Taiwan and Hong Kong) and the Sudan.  He was a pioneer in developing refugee processing systems for “boat people” arriving on the shores of Indonesia and Singapore, and was the director, in Taiwan, of the school that trained U.S. diplomats in Chinese language, culture, economics, history and politics in preparation for service in China and Hong Kong.

In both the Bush and Clinton White Houses, Matt was Director for European Economies in Transition, the office that oversaw trade, developmental and humanitarian policies for the several nation-states that came into being with the dissolution of the former Soviet Union.

Matt finished his diplomatic career as a Senior Inspector for the Foreign Service.

From 1999 to 2003, Matt was the Director for Refugee and Immigration Services at Catholic Charities Maine.  During that period he served on a number of State and local boards and committees dealing with cultural and linguistic diversity.  He is a well known advocate for the professionalization and standardization of foreign language interpreting and translating.

Matt is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (BSFS & MSFS).  He is a past-President of the Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine (CAFAM) and the Foreign Affairs Retirees of New England (FARNE).  He is a member of the American Foreign Service Association and Diplomatic and Consular Officers Retired.