Tennessee World Affairs Council

China's Push for Superpower Status in a World in Turmoil
2025-08-20 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | Holland & Knight, 511 Union Street Suite 2700, Nashville, TN, 37219, United States
Wednesday, August 20 I 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
* Luncheon Event *
Venue:
Holland & Knight
511 Union St. #2700 Nashville, TN 37219
Is China the Next Global Superpower?
China is on the move—vying with the U.S. for dominance in trade, technology, and global influence. As American alliances waver and Beijing aligns with powers like Russia and Iran, China is making strategic advances across Africa, Latin America, and the global South. Meanwhile, cutting-edge technologies like DeepSeek AI and EV supremacy suggest a “Sputnik moment” for the U.S.
But the story isn’t one-sided. Inside China, mounting debt, a shrinking workforce, and rising youth unemployment paint a more complex picture. How is President Xi’s tech-driven vision reshaping the economy, and what does it mean for the rest of the world?
In this timely and provocative discussion, China expert Dexter Tiff Roberts will unpack:
· China’s strategy to challenge U.S. global leadership
· Emerging tech and economic rivalries
· Beijing’s growing influence in the Global South
· Internal economic pressures threatening China’s rise
· What does it all mean for global stability, trade, and power dynamics
This is a must-attend for anyone interested in global affairs, U.S.-China relations, and the forces reshaping the 21st century. Whether you’re a student, policymaker, business leader, or globally curious, you’ll leave with sharper insights into the world’s most consequential geopolitical rivalry.

Speaker: Dexter Tiff Roberts

Dexter Tiff Roberts is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Global China Hub; publisher of Trade War, a weekly on US-China relations and the Chinese economy; instructor in Chinese politics at the University of Montana; author of The Myth of Chinese Capitalism (St. Martin’s Press, 2020). He is the founder and publisher of Trade War, a weekly newsletter on Chinese business and politics, with over 5,000 subscribers from government, finance, and academia, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, and an instructor in Chinese politics and history at the University of Montana. He is a sought-after commentator on the Chinese economy and U.S.-China relations, with his analysis featured in Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, Politico, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, NPR, the BBC, and CNN.
Roberts served for more than two decades as China bureau chief and Asia News Editor at Bloomberg Businessweek, based in Beijing, where he covered China’s accession to the World Trade Organization, the impact of the Global Financial Crisis, and the rise of authoritarian leader Xi Jinping. He has reported from all of China’s provinces and regions, including Tibet and Xinjiang, as well as from Mongolia, Cambodia, and North Korea. Previously, he was director of China affairs at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center.
Roberts has won numerous journalism honors for his writing, including Overseas Press Club and Society of Publishers in Asia editorial excellence awards. He is regularly asked to share his views on China. He has spoken at the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Asia Society, the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, the Contemporary Centre for China Affairs at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, as well as at numerous universities in the U.S., China and Hong Kong. He has lectured on Chinese disinformation at the Foreign Service Institute at the U.S. Department of State, and provided testimony on the Chinese economy to the congressionally mandated U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission and the UK Cabinet Office.
Roberts holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Stanford University and a Master of International Affairs, with a focus on China, from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. He studied at National Taiwan Normal University’s Mandarin Training Center in Taipei and speaks fluent Chinese. Roberts’ first book, The Myth of Chinese Capitalism: the Worker, the Factory and the Future of the World (St. Martin’s Press), was chosen as one of The Economist’s “best books of the year” for 2020, and was a best seller in Chinese, published by Taiwan’s Gusa Publishing.
Moderator: Jeremy Goldkorn

Jeremy Goldkorn is an editorial fellow at the Asia Society’s ChinaFile, the editor of The China Week, and founder of the Rhyming Chaos podcast. He co-founded the Sinica Podcast in 2010, and was editor-in-chief of The China Project from 2016 to 2023. Goldkorn moved from his hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa to China in 1995 and became managing editor of Beijing’s first independent English-language entertainment magazine. He later edited and founded several other publications, including the website Danwei, which tracked Chinese media, markets, politics and business, which was acquired in 2013 by the Financial Times. While in China, he lived in a workers’ dormitory, produced a documentary film about African soccer players in Beijing, and rode a bicycle from Peshawar to Kathmandu via Kashgar and Lhasa. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2015. He is a graduate of the University of Cape Town.

Greenland and the Geopolitics of the Arctic (Webinar)
2025-08-24 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
presents

Greenland and the Geopolitics of the Arctic
(webinar)
Sunday, August 24 – 11:00 am-12:00 pm
As climate change accelerates the melting of Arctic ice, the region is rapidly emerging as a new geopolitical frontier. The Arctic holds immense strategic value due to its untapped natural resources—estimated to include 13% of the world’s undiscovered oil and 30% of its natural gas—as well as critical rare earth minerals essential for modern technologies. Melting ice is also opening new maritime routes that could significantly shorten global shipping times, increasing the region’s economic and military importance.
Major powers, including the United States, Russia, and China, are expanding their presence in the Arctic, viewing it as a key arena for influence, resource competition, and military positioning. The Arctic’s role in global security is further underscored by its proximity to the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) gap, a vital chokepoint for NATO defense strategy.
Within this broader context, the Trump Administration renewed U.S. focus on Greenland as a strategic asset. Greenland’s geographic location makes it a cornerstone of Arctic defense, prompting the administration to place its military installations under U.S. Northern Command in 2025. The island’s vast reserves of rare earth minerals also attracted attention, particularly as the U.S. sought to counter China’s dominance in critical supply chains.
President Trump’s controversial proposal to purchase Greenland from Denmark, while dismissed by both Danish and Greenlandic leaders, reflected a broader ambition to assert U.S. dominance in the Arctic. However, this approach drew criticism for marginalizing Greenlandic voices and treating the territory as a geopolitical commodity rather than recognizing its people as autonomous actors. As Greenland moves toward greater self-determination, future U.S. engagement will need to balance strategic interests with respect for local governance and aspirations.
The World Affairs Council of Atlanta speaks with the authors of the book “Greenland – A Journey from the Earliest Times to a Modern Society,” published in March 2025. Mira Kleist is Head of the Greenland Practice, Kaya Partners. Jens Heinrich, Ph.D. is Head of Mission, Greenland Representation in Denmark. Bo Lidegaard, Ph.D. is Co-founder, Kaya Partners.

Speakers:
Mira Kleist is a Greenland native, based in Nuuk, and is a former diplomat with a decade of expertise in global Arctic affairs, Greenland–EU relations, indigenous peoples’ rights, and security policy. Mira’s background includes roles as a civil servant at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greenland, a posting to the Greenlandic EU Representation in Brussels, a Social Affairs Associate at the UN headquarters in New York, and a Senior Advisor at the Danish Ministry of Defence. Mira is currently the Head of Greenland Practice and the climate policy advisory, Kaya Partners.
Jens Heinrich, Ph.D. is a Greenlandic-Danish historian, trained at the University of Greenland. His phd-thesis was on the modernization of Greenland during and following World War II. He has worked on historical enquiries, been a member of the Greenland Reconciliation Commission and has been an external lecturer at the University of Greenland and University of Copenhagen. Heinrich is head of the Greenland Representation in Copenhagen, Government of Greenland
Bo Lidegaard, Ph.D. is an historian, author and political advisor, formerly long serving Danish diplomat and top foreign affairs, national security and climate change advisor to consecutive Danish Prime Ministers. After leaving public service in 2011, he served as editor in chief for the leading daily Politiken and in 2022 he co-founded Kaya Partners where he has since devoted his time, presently running offices in Copenhagen, Nuuk and London. Lidegaard has published several bestselling volumes on contemporary history, including the US – Greenland – Denmark triangle since WWII.

The power of the Olympic brand and the geopolitics of global sport (Webinar)
2025-08-27 17:00 - 18:00 | Zoom
presents

The power of the Olympic brand and the geopolitics of global sport (webinar)
Wednesday, August 27 – 12:00 pm-1:00 pm

What do the Olympics reveal about international influence, branding, and global power? Join TNWAC on Wednesday, August 27th, for a fascinating webinar moderated by Karl Dean featuring Terrence H. Burns (Chairman and Owner, T. Burns Sports Group, LLC).

Terrence will explore how the Olympic Games transcend sport to shape geopolitics, national identity, and global narratives.

What You’ll Learn:
– How the Olympic brand has become a tool of soft power
– The intersection of global sports, politics, and diplomacy
– Real-world insights into international branding and influence

View Recording

Featured Speaker:

Terrence H. Burns (Chairman and Owner, T. Burns Sports Group, LLC)
Terrence H. Burns is a seasoned international sports and Olympic marketing executive with over 30 years of experience in marketing communications, brand management, and sponsorship marketing. As the Chairman and Owner of T. Burns Sports Group, LLC, based in Nashville, TN, he specializes in global sports consulting, working with high-profile clients such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and bids for major events like the Salt Lake City 2034 Winter Games, Saudi Arabia 2034 FIFA World Cup, and Doha 2030 Asian Games. His career highlights include contributing to six winning Olympic bids (Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, Los Angeles 2028, Salt Lake City 2034) and two FIFA World Cup bids (2018, 2026).
Featured Moderator:

Karl Dean
Karl Dean served as the sixth Mayor of Nashville and Davidson County. He was elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. Dean first held public office when he was elected as Nashville’s Public Defender in 1990. He was re-elected in 1994 and 1998. He served as Metro Law Director from 1999 to January 2007, when he resigned to run for the office of mayor. Karl Dean has taught at Vanderbilt Law School, Belmont University, and Boston University.
