Maorong Jiang, PhD, associate professor in political science and director of the Asian World Center, was one of five panelists for Strategic Multilayer Assessment (SMA) CENTCOM panel discussion on black swan scenarios on March 27, 2020. This panel discussion was part three of a six-part series addressing unclassified questions posed by US Central Command (CENTCOM) as part of SMA’s Assessment of Strategic Implications of Population Dynamics in the Central Region.
Teamed up with Dr. David Dorondo, professor of history at Western Carolina University, Dr. Jiang’s research project addresses potential security concerns in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region over the next 5-25 years if a strong Chinese-Russian alliance develops. It also offers the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) possible approaches to pre-empt both the formation of a China-Russia Axis and subsequent emergence of a MENA periphery.
