WorldBoston’s Chat & Chowder features key authors on international affairs in an engaging setting. Even virtually, the spirit of Chat & Chowder persists! We encourage everyone to BYOCB (Bring Your Own Chow(der) & Beverages), and also to join us for the informal post-Chat Chat with Wing-kai To, Assistant Provost for Global Engagement and Senior International Officer at Bridgewater State University (separate Zoom link will be provided). Longtime and first-time chatters alike are welcome!

Challenging China: Smart Strategies for Dealing with China in the Xi Jinping Era is a popular current events explanation of how China has become more authoritarian and expansionist and what strategies the U.S. and its allies need to adopt to address this new China. Although delving into serious issues, Challenging China is written in an engaging way and probably the only book on China that references Dolly Parton, LeBron James and Bruce Springsteen.

The story of China’s rise is a remarkable tale of economic success, but that alone has not and will not lead to political liberalization. This book shows how actively engaging China, while protecting our own interests, can in fact work to promote its liberalization. This includes a wide array of strategies including trade alliances with other countries, cooperating with China on climate change, protecting Taiwan and using human rights as a foreign policy tool.

Sam Kaplan is the director of the Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management, which connects industry and education in Washington around workforce development issues. The Center maintains data on the industry, including how many jobs, where they’re located and the average wage; organizes a Follow the Supply Chain Study Abroad program; and has worked with colleges around the state on global trade and logistics curriculum. The Center also produced a Virtual Textbook Chapter onFollowing the Supply Chain to be used by business courses.

Sam also publishes the weekly newsletter, International Need to Know and has recently written a book about China and America – Challenging China: Smart Strategies for Dealing with China in the Xi Jinping Era – that was published by Tuttle Publishing on April 6, 2021. He is also president of Gittes Global, a business consulting firm which provides business development, communications and community/government affairs services for businesses and organizations.

In 20 years at the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, the last five as president, Sam was engaged in promoting, connecting and educating the Greater Seattle region internationally for trade and business. At TDA he led the effort to create target markets for the organization which married industry sectors with international markets using data and qualitative analysis. As President of TDA, Sam oversaw the organization of nearly a dozen outbound business and leadership missions, helped lead the Global Cities Initiative, helped organize the successful visit of President Xi Jinping and co-led the effort to create an International Competitive Strategy for Washington state. While president of TDA, Sam served briefly as interim president of the Washington State China Relations Council.

Previously Sam worked as a legislative assistant handling foreign affairs and trade issues for now retired U.S. Representative John Miller. Representative Miller served on the Foreign Affairs Committee and its Subcommittee on International Trade. Sam has been published in the World Bank’s Urban Age magazine, as well as in many other publications.

He wrote and co-produced the short film about customer service, Please Hold, and is author of the novel, Munsrat Lives. Sam has traveled to and worked extensively with Asia and Europe during his long career in international affairs and trade.