Dennis McNamara, Park Professor of Sociology & Korean Studies, Georgetown University, USA.
Abstract: Knowledge flows remain the critical exchange for upgrading position in global exchange networks, and for technological advancement or "innovation," within and across national economies. Yet "public diplomacy" remains largely undertheorized. Governance within GVCs often underestimates the role of state coordination. And despite the significance of knowledge flows for GVC upgrading, a common methodology for identifying and tracking this exchange eludes us. I draw on the recent manifesto on the role of law in GVCs to bring concept, coherence, and a case method to address all three issues. I develop case studies of U.S. public institutions managing knowledge exchange in trade, investment and IPR. Global institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) work to institutionalize trust in legal procedures supporting knowledge exchange in what I term a "property dialogue." However, U.S. security concerns about China's military applications of knowledge drawn from these streams have prompted the U.S. administration to initiate new controls, eroding the role of the WTO. What are the controls and how will they affect the broader cooperation on property rights? This paper tracks recent U.S. knowledge diplomacy on chain resilience and chain security to assess their effect on bilateral market ties.
Keywords: Global Value Chains, Public Diplomacy, Governance, Law, Supply Chain Resilience