Paul Irwin Crookes was a panel speaker at the inaugural Annual Conference of the London chapter of the Young China Watchers, hosted by the Lau China Institute at King’s College London. Analysing Chinese international relations strategy and the security implications of China’s re-emergence in the East Asia region, Paul outlined his research on China’s current trajectory as the country engages with the global economic and political system in new ways, including through the AIIB and a growing FDI profile on the one hand along with developing sea power projection capabilities on the other. The event brought together academics from leading universities, postgraduate students, media commentators and other professionals with an interest in contemporary China to discuss key themes in Chinese studies.