ARNSF focuses on China – U.S. relations

The CGSC Foundation’s Simons Center hosted an Arter-Rowland National Security Forum luncheon event on June 15, 2023, at the Carriage Club in Kansas City.

Simons Center Director Bob Ulin welcomed the ARNSF members, some of whom also introduced their guests and then introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Joseph G. D. (Geoff) Babb.

(Top photo and above) Dr. Joseph G. D. (Geoff) Babb, professor of history in the Department of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, discussed China – U.S. relations during the Arter-Rowland National Security Forum luncheon event on June 15, 2023, at the Carriage Club in Kansas City.

In this presentation of the forum, Babb, professor of history in the Department of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, provided an overview of the history and current status of Sino-American relations. He also discussed the U.S. role in China’s “Century of Humiliation” and how that provides a backdrop to the core interests driving Xi Jinping’s current foreign and domestic policies. He also reviewed three key potential flash points and provided an assessment of a potential road ahead.

Dr. Joseph G. D. (Geoff) Babb is a professor of history in CGSC’s Department of Military History providing expertise on China. He has served on the CGSC faculty since 1991.

Prior to CGSC Babb retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel in the military intelligence branch. Commissioned in 1973 from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, he trained as a China Foreign Area Officer in Monterey, California, and in Hong Kong and Beijing, China. He served in Washington, D.C., at the Defense Intelligence Agency and on the Joint Staff. He also was a regional desk officer in Hawaii at U.S. Pacific Command and U.S Army Pacific.

Babb holds a bachelor’s from Bowdoin College, an MPA from Clark University, a master’s in East Asian Languages and Cultures and a doctorate in history from the University of Kansas.

After the presentation and a question and answer period, Ulin presented Babb with a new CGSC/Simons Center coffee mug and Simons Center coin in appreciation for his time with the Forum. Ulin closed out the luncheon with a short brief about the schedule for future gatherings of the Forum.

For more photos see the CGSC Foundation Flickr album

Dr. Joseph G. D. (Geoff) Babb is a professor of history in CGSC’s Department of Military History providing expertise on China. He has served on the CGSC faculty since 1991.

Prior to CGSC Babb retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel in the military intelligence branch. Commissioned in 1973 from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, he trained as a China Foreign Area Officer in Monterey, California, and in Hong Kong and Beijing, China. He served in Washington, D.C., at the Defense Intelligence Agency and on the Joint Staff. He also was a regional desk officer in Hawaii at U.S. Pacific Command and U.S Army Pacific.

Babb holds a bachelor’s from Bowdoin College, an MPA from Clark University, a master’s in East Asian Languages and Cultures and a doctorate in history from the University of Kansas.

The Arter-Rowland National Security Forum (ARNSF) is led by the CGSC Foundation’s Simons Center and is an exclusive professional information sharing and networking forum for senior executives.

Members of the Forum and their guests meet periodically at guest speaker events in downtown Kansas City. National and regional guest speakers representing all elements of national power (Diplomatic, Informational, Military and Economic) highlight the meetings. The Forum is nonpartisan, but elected government officials may present from time to time.

The Forum is named after Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Arter, Founding Chairman of the CGSC Foundation, and Mr. Landon Rowland, the Foundation’s first major donor who was well-known in Kansas City for his keen interest in national security issues and his leadership in business and philanthropy.

ARNSF events are only open to ARNSF members and their guests. If you are not a member but are interested in joining, contact Bob Ulin at rulin@cgscf.org or visit the Forum page on the Simons Center website for more information.

The Arter-Rowland National Security Forum is cohosted by the CGSC Foundation’s Simons Center and the Kansas City Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (KCAUSA).