After eight years of the Obama Administration, the situation in Asia has changed dramatically. China has worked aggressively to expand its military complex in the South China Sea. North Korea continues to develop its nuclear program and to test missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads. Meanwhile the United States has significantly reduced its influence in East Asia.

In Japan, the Chinese have been buying up strategically significant assets, including real estate and corporate holdings tied to natural resources such as groundwater reserves. At the same time, in the U.S., Chinese government-controlled companies have acquired a stake in businesses ranging from theaters and film production companies (in an attempt to influence Americans’ perceptions of China) to hotels to industrial machine and appliance manufacturers. China’s attempt to gain a foothold in U.S. financial markets through the purchase of the Chicago Board of Trade by a state-owned investor group is currently under review by the Trump Administration. These acquisitions are not merely capitalist transactions, but rather, part of a larger effort by China to gain an economic and military advantage over its adversaries (including the U.S. and Japan).

On the campaign trail, then-candidate Donald J. Trump took a hard line against China for its unfair trade practices and unlawful attempts at territorial expansion. Shortly after winning the election, in a break with decades-old protocol, President Trump took a phone call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Since assuming office, though, the signals from the Trump Administration regarding China have been mixed.

The American Conservative Union (ACU) has asserted that Japan has a crucial role to play as the foundation of stability in Asia, and it is critical that both Japan and the United States have strong economies and appropriate defense capabilities, particularly as a counter-balance to China’s aggressive attempts at global domination.

With these two elements as a focal point, JCPAC 2017, co-hosted by the Japanese Conservative Union and the ACU, will focus on five topics over two days: freedom, liberty, and the rule of law; national security and secure technology; economic growth and deregulation; intellectual property; and family prosperity.