By host Tom Ashbrook:

Conservative Party Briton Chris Patten has had the kind of globe-straddling career that few public figures pull off anymore, spanning continents and remarkable moments in history.

He was the last British governor of Hong Kong, an outspoken British cabinet minister, a top official in the European Union. He’s now Chancellor of Oxford University, and carries easily the sadly old-fashioned word “statesman.”

Chris Patten grew up in the American Century, and was glad for it. Now, he’s not so sure. The American Republic has, he worries, become an empire. And the West itself may be in trouble.

Hear a conversation with super-statesman Chris Patten and the fate of the West.

Guests:

Chris Patten, chancellor of Oxford and Newcastle Universities. From 1999 to 2004 he was the European Commissioner for External Relations. He was the last British governor of Hong Kong. He is former member of Parliament for Bath. He is author of “East and West: China, Power, and the Future of Asia”. His new book is “Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain and Europe in a New Century.”