September 23, 2016
Brig Gen Spalding will provide an overview of the economic elements of Chinese competition. The discussion will begin with a brief overview of the evolution of the modern U.S.-China relationship. This section will lay out some of the issues that were set aside to make room for rapprochement.
Next he will delve into what each side wants, however, the emphasis for this section will be on the Chinese perspective. When discussing the U.S. approach to China and the region, the focus will be on the military element of national power. The discussion on China’s approach will include other elements of national power.
The final part of the discussion will lay out Chinese economic goals and their impact on the U.S. military. There are near term and long term impacts that will be discussed. This section will begin with a discussion of the economic lines of effort, and move into the specific military implications.
There will be time at the end of the discussion for questions.
Brigadier General Robert S. “Rob” Spalding III is the Defense Attaché Designate to China.
Brigadier General Spalding received his commission through Fresno State University's Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 1991. He is an Air Force Command Pilot with more than 2,300 hours flight time in two major weapons systems; B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress. His prior tours include Command of the 509th Operations Group where he launched B-2s in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn, and Military Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Prisoner of War / Missing Personnel Affairs at the Pentagon. During the Iraq surge in 2007, he deployed and directed the Personal Security Coordination Center, and was responsible for security of the top five leaders in Iraq.
Prior to his current assignment, he was the Senior China Strategist for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
He received his BS and MS from Fresno State, his PhD from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and speaks Chinese-Mandarin as well as Spanish.