WHAT: September 18th – Great Game On: The Contest for Central Asia and Global Supremacy, an in-person RASBJ talk by author Geoff Raby, in discussion with Stephen McDonell

WHEN: Wednesday, September 18th, 2024, 7PM to 8PM (Beijing Time)

WHERE: JINSHANG YUAN 金尚源 at JINSHANG SQUARE Bldg 20, Chaoyang District, Beijing 北京市朝阳区新源里西20号. The event will be in The Silver Room on the lower floor. Attendees will receive access details with the reminder sent 24 hours before the event.

FOR DIDI: XINYUAN LIXI Building No.20

ABOUT THE EVENT: Geoff Raby, Australia's former ambassador to China, shares with the BBC's Stephen McDonell insights from "Great Game On", his book that offers geopolitics on a grand canvas. Geoff argues that throughout history, China has sought its security by building dominant relationships with pliant states that accept its pre-eminence. He asserts that its expanding role and influence in Central Asia has been as incremental and piecemeal as it has been deliberate. Geoff takes the reader on a journey across Eurasia to understand the forces shaping its geopolitics, enriched by his many tales of travel and diplomacy.

MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Geoff Raby served as Australia's ambassador to China (2007–11); ambassador to APEC (2003– 05); and ambassador to the World Trade Organization (1998–2001). Since leaving government service, Geoff has been a regular columnist on China and Eurasia for The Australian Financial Review, a travel writer and a non-executive, independent company director. His previous book to "The Great Game" was "China's Grand Strategy" (MUP, 2020). He was awarded the Order of Australia in 2019 for services to Australia–China relations and international trade.

MORE ABOUT THE MODERATOR: Stephen McDonell has been the BBC's China correspondent since 2016, based in Beijing. He was previously the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's China correspondent from 2006 to 2015. Stephen has a MA Journalism degree from the University of Technology in Sydney and a BA from the University of Wollongong.

HOW MUCH: RMB 200 for RASBJ members, members of RAS branches in London, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul, and members of AustCham. RMB 300 for non-members. You may find payment by Alipay easier than by Wechat. You can also pay by credit card. Interested in becoming an RASB member? Please sign up at http://rasbj.org/membership/​

HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT: Please click "Register" or "I will attend" before noon on September 16th and follow the instructions. After successful registration you'll receive a confirmation email. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder.

Members of partner RAS Branches and AustCham : Please register 72 hours in advance to allow time for membership verification. You'll receive three emails from us: the first confirming receipt of your registration request, the second requesting payment, and the third confirming receipt of your payment.

REFUND POLICY: If RASBJ cancels the event, registrants will be refunded in full.