–Interpreting at the 2019 SPFUSA Security Forum
Last month, I had the opportunity to interpret at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA’s Security Forum. This is a big annual event that I’d attended in the past, and I was honored to be in the booth this time! This year’s forum was very timely, coming on the heels of the 2+2 talks (discussions among the U.S. Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State, and the Japanese Defense Minister and Foreign Minister). The forum looked at all angles of security, including CPTPP (TPP11) and American and Japanese policy in the Indo-Pacific; last December’s updates to Japan’s National Defense Policy Guidelines; the changing role of the Japan Self-Defense Forces; North Korea; and territorial disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
I did my best to study materials that I knew would be a part of the discussion–it was basically like an intense all-day exam. But there were topics that I wish I’d thought to review ahead of time. For example, in discussing China, an audience member brought up the concentration camps in Xinjiang; another speaker shared his thoughts on Huawei’s 5G technology and entry into the British market. I need to be much more diligent about consuming news in both languages on a daily basis! This also made me realize that China is considered a threat in every aspect: economy, technology, security, and in challenging universal human rights.
I also interpreted for a brief talk between SPFUSA staff with some of the speakers. This was held at the gorgeous Metropolitan Club. This was my first time there, but I absolutely fell in love with its library. My favorite was the glowing globe (I have a weak spot for anything that glows), which I vowed to own one day in a big, lovely library 🙂 Perhaps because it was cherry blossom season, the library had a small exhibit on Japan, which made the experience all the more special! This special day, interpreting for top scholars and experts on security and East Asian relations, followed by the chance to work in a beautiful building, reminded me how lucky I am to be in DC.