Report on the 12th Annual Conference

The 12th Annual Conference of the Association of Chinese Political Studies (ACPS) was successfully held in Las Vegas on November 23-26, 1997. The overall theme of the 12th ACPS annual conference is the political, economic, and social transition during the Deng Xiaoping China and toward the post-Deng China.

Dr. Yang Zhong of the University of Tennessee and Dr. Xiaobo Hu of Morehead State University co-chaired the opening session. After a welcome address by Dr. Xiaobo Hu, the ACPS president, Dr. M. Kent Jennings, president of American Political Science Association (APSA), delivered a keynote speech, entitled "Some Reflections on Mainstreaming Research on Chinese Politics." Dr. Michael Y. M. Kau of Brown University delivered a keynote speech on "Cross-Taiwan Strait Relations and the United States." Dr. Angang Hu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences presented a keynote speech on "Politics and Policy of Employment in the Post-Deng China" Dr. Chu-cheng Ming of National Taiwan University presented a guest speech on "Taipei's Hong Kong Policy" at the dinner banquet.

Over 40 participants from Mainland China, Taiwan, and the Unite States attended the annual conference. Nearly 40 research papers were presented at over ten panels. Panel topics included: The Political Economy of China's Reform; China's Views on International Relations; Political Interest and Ethics in the Post-Deng China; The 15th Party Congress; Media, Society and Public Policy in China; Democratic Prospects of China; U.S. Policies Toward Mainland China and Taiwan; Cross-Taiwan Strait Relations; and the Hong Kong Transition. The conference was concluded with a round table discussion on the recent development in Mainland China and Taiwan.

An ACPS business meeting was held on the 24th. At the business meeting, Dr. Gang LIN was elected as the president-elect. Drs. Jie CHEN, Guoli LIU, and Shiping ZHENG were elected as members of the new Board of Directors. They all join the current President of the ACPS, Dr. Xiaobo Hu, to form the Board of Directors for 1997-1998. Dr. Hu expressed his sincere gratitude to the previous Board members whom he had asked to stay on Board until this annual conference and reelection, and urged the new Board to work together with all members for an even better organization in the coming year.