NCUSCR Interviews: Recent Episodes
National Committee on U.S.-China Relations
This series features brief discussions with leading China experts on a range of issues in the U.S.-China relationship, including domestic politics, foreign policy, economics, security, culture, the environment, and areas of global concern. For more interviews, videos, and links to events, visit our website: www.ncuscr.org.
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Following the Trump–Xi meeting in mid-May, officials in both the United States and China started describing bilateral ties as "a constructive relationship of strategic stability." However, both countries have different views of what this term means and its implications for U.S.-China relations. While the United States does not see a large difference between "strategic stability" and its other recent approaches to China, China views this new term as an acknowledgement of its superpower status on the global stage. Is the U.S.-China relationship entering a new phase or is this simply a new rhetorical framing?
Victor Shih joined us on July 9, 2026 to discuss the way the United States and China view their relationship with each other after the Trump-Xi meeting in May.
Read the speaker's bio on our website.
Countries across the globe are increasingly focused on the Arctic due to its expanding shipping routes, vast natural resources, and cutting-edge scientific research opportunities. China views the Arctic as a critical new frontier for its economic and geostrategic opportunities. Since China isn't geographically located in the Arctic, it must work with other nations, like Russia, to achieve its aims in the region. However, Chinese engagement in the Arctic has been met with skepticism, especially from the United States and European nations weary of China's relationship with Russia and the impact of China's economic activity on their own industries.
Elizabeth Wishnick joined us on June 6, 2026 to discuss China's economic and security interests in the Arctic and China's reception in the region.
Click here to read the speaker's bio and watch the YouTube video.
As AI technologies become increasingly sophisticated, the United States and China are vying to win this technology competition. Both countries have different approaches and strengths in their development, deployment, and regulation of AI – the United States is recognized as leading in advanced AI development and China in industrial AI integration. Although perceptions of AI differ between people, companies, and the government in the United States and China, a shared anxiety exists among both populations over the effects this technology will have on their lives.
Yi-Ling Liu joined us on June 10, 2026 to share similarities and differences between the ways people in the United States and China view AI and who the narrative of a U.S.-China AI race neglects.
Further reading: Yi-Ling Liu's recent book The Wall Dancers: Searching For Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet traces the evolution of the Chinese internet, following entrepreneurs, activists, and artists as they navigate surveillance and censorship within the Great Firewall. Liu draws on years of firsthand reporting and interviews in China to examine online subcultures, shifting state policies, and tech innovations over the last three decades
CHINA Town Hall (CTH), a program that provides a snapshot of the current U.S.-China relationship and examines how that relationship reverberates at the local level – in our towns, states, and nation – connects people around the country with U.S. policymakers and thought leaders on China.
The 2026 CHINA Town Hall program took place on Tuesday, April 7, at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, with two veteran senior diplomats discussing the current state and future trajectory of the U.S.-China relationship: Stephen Biegun, former U.S. deputy secretary of state, and Sarah Beran, former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and former senior director for China and Taiwan affairs at the White House National Security Council.
Since CTH launched in 2007, the National Committee has proudly partnered with a range of institutions and civic groups, colleges and universities, trade and business associations, world affairs councils and think tanks to convene town halls and bring this important national conversation to local communities around America (and a few overseas).
China's role in the Middle East and North Africa has grown in recent years as Beijing has expanded its engagement in energy, trade, infrastructure, and diplomacy across the region. At the same time, Middle Eastern and North African governments are assessing what deeper ties with China can offer and where Beijing's influence still falls short. What draws China to the Middle East and North Africa, what is its strategy there, and how are shifts in U.S. policy shaping Beijing's regional approach?
Chuchu Zhang joined us on March 24, 2026 to discuss China's interests in the Middle East and North Africa and how governments in the region view China.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the video here.
China is the largest manufacturer, installer, and user of clean energy and electric vehicles., At the same time, it emits more greenhouse gasses than any other country. While efforts to work with the United States on climate issues have stalled in recent years, a combination of grass roots activism and long term government policy are driving China's environmental movement forward. How does China approach environmentalism? Can the United States and China resume cooperation on climate?
Alex Wang joined us on April 1, 2026 to discuss these questions and share how climate policy differs between the United States and China.
Alex's new (open-source) book Chinese Global Environmentalism looks at how and why China is approaching global green development. The book explores how China got from a period of environmental crisis to a period of relative success and examines both both challenges and successes in-depth.
Read Alex's bio and watch the video here.
Educational exchange is a primary way for American and Chinese people to interact with each other, creating opportunities to build common ground. However, both the United States and Chinese governments are hindering and restricting educational exchange opportunities by limiting interactions and complicating bureaucratic processes. Despite these hurdles, opportunities persist for U.S.-China collaboration, especially in the nonprofit and business sectors. Can educational exchange between the United States and China stay afloat amid changing U.S.-China relations?
Rosie Levine joined us on March 9, 2026 to explain why educational exchange between the United States and China is important.
Inequality in the United States and China remains problematic as policymakers grapple with high costs, tepid employment, and an uncertain global economy. Social policy scholars work to highlight the visible and invisible factors contributing to inequality in both countries. Common solutions have emerged over time like a focus on children's education and women's empowerment. Despite best efforts, common challenges have also persisted. While cultural contexts differ, the shared fight against poverty and other forms of inequality could provide a basis for collaborative U.S.-China efforts in the future.
Qin Gao joined us on Feb 26, 2026 to share her observations of common themes and challenges the United States and China face in fighting inequality and her story starting out in the social policy field.
Read China & the Hill on Substack
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
David M. Lampton and Wang Jisi co-authored an article published in the March/April 2026 issue of Foreign Affairs in which they argue that the character of the U.S.-China bilateral relationship has changed profoundly. In the early 2010s the two countries moved from cautious engagement with each other to tense rivalry. Each sees the other as the primary threat to its core values, political legitimacy, and vital national interests. It is possible, however, to stabilize and normalize the bilateral relationship by making room for each other in the international system and regional security architectures.
In an interview conducted on February 23, 2026, article co-author David M. Lampton joins Steve Orlins to discuss steps that the United States and China could take to pull back from the current dangerously negative trajectory
About the speaker
Read China & the Hill on Substack
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China's development investments across the African continent have had global ramifications. Inspired by the ability to use language to build bridges, NCUSCR staff Lizabeth Bamgboye discusses her experience studying China and its impact on Africa and the wider African diaspora. As a Nigerian-American Lizabeth reflects on how different countries learn about China and what that means for diplomatic ties.
Lizabeth Bamgboye joined us on February 5, 2026 to share how her experiences shape her potential to work in the development space with a focus on China-Africa collaboration.
See the speaker's bio and watch the video here
Read China & the Hill on Substack
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Fourteen years ago, nearly 15,000 Americans were studying abroad in China – but now the number is less than 2,000. Fewer economic opportunities for Americans in China and changing U.S. perceptions of China are partially to blame for this decline, but the need for China expertise, particularly to craft effective foreign policy, is growing as China continues to rise. However, the U.S. government has shuttered or slowed some of the paths people used to take to study China, such as the Fulbright and Peace Corp program. Why does the United States need China expertise and what does its loss mean for U.S. foreign policy?
Rory Truex joined us in December 2025 to discuss the high barriers to studying China and the consequences a lack of China expertise could have for the future of U.S. foreign policy.
Watch the video and learn more about the speaker here
🚨 Check out the new China & the Hill Legislation Database! 🚨
China & the Hill is now on Substack
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
🚨 Check out the new China & the Hill Legislation Database! 🚨
China & the Hill is now on Substack
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
100,000 fewer Chinese international students are in the United States compared to 2019, and this trend is showing no signs of slowing. These students are a major economic driver in small college towns and large cities across the United States. In 2024, Chinese international students had an estimated $14.6 billion-dollar economic impact in the United States through tuition and living costs alone. They also greatly add to the science and engineering fields in the United States, particularly in AI and quantum computing. The cost of Chinese international students' contribution to the U.S. economy and academic institutions is difficult to calculate, but what impact does fewer Chinese international students have for the United States?
Yingyi Ma joined us in November 2025 to uncover why fewer Chinese students are coming to the United States and what that means for the U.S. economy and higher education.
Watch the video and learn more about the speaker here
On January 3, 2026, the United States launched a military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicholas Maduro and an escalation in U.S.-Venezuela tensions. This intervention has sparked intense global debate – raising questions about international law, sovereignty, and the use of force. It also highlighted the broader implications of intensifying U.S.–China competition across Latin America.
In an event held on January 9, 2026, Margaret Myers and Tong Zhao, in conversation with Jesse Marks, discuss how this unexpected U.S. military action is reshaping strategic calculations in Beijing and Washington, what it may signal for Taiwan, and what these developments mean for the future of U.S.-China relations.
About the speakers
Smart Rabbits: American Small Businesspeople, Trade Wars, and the Future of U.S.-China Relations looks at how small businesses navigate the intricate web of U.S.-China relations. Author Douglas Barry captures the voices of entrepreneurs whose daily lives reflect the larger narrative of economic interdependence and geopolitical tension, profiling American small business owners who forge connections, foster trade, and find innovative solutions despite trade wars, policy shifts, and cultural barriers. The book offers insights into how small businesses are affected by and influence global politics, and provides fresh perspectives on the U.S.-China relationship and why bilateral cooperation matters.
In an interview conducted on July 21, 2025, Douglas Barry, in conversation with Min Fan, discusses how small businesses are shaping the future of U.S.-China relations.
About the speakers
The Party's Interests Come First is the first English-language biography of Xi Zhongxun, the father of China's current leader, Xi Jinping. It is both a story of the Chinese revolution and the first several decades of the People's Republic of China and a personal account of developing one's own sense of identity within a larger political context. Drawing on an array of documents, interviews, diaries, and periodicals, Joseph Torigian introduces Xi Zhongxun. He helped build the Communist base area that saved Mao Zedong in 1935, worked closely with top leaders Zhou Enlai and Hu Yaobang, and oversaw the Special Economic Zones that launched China's reform era.
In an interview conducted on August 21, 2025, Joseph Torigian, in conversation with Victor Shih, explores the organizational, ideological, and coercive power of the Chinese Communist Party through the life of Xi Zhongxun – and the huge cost in human suffering that accompanies it.
About this program
On December 8, 2025, President Donald Trump stated that NVIDIA would be allowed to sell its advanced H200 chips to China. This decision departs from previous U.S. policy that prevented the export of H200 chips to China to preserve the United States' lead over China in the AI race. Industry leaders touted economic incentives, such as U.S. companies' desire to strengthen market shares in China, urging President Trump to change the course of the United States' advance compute export policy. Some experts fear that this decision will yield negative national security implications for the United States and pave the way for Chinese AI companies to catch up to American ones, narrowing the gap between the two countries in the AI competition. How should the U.S.-China tech competition be viewed amid these changing dynamics?
Paul Triolo joined us on December 12, 2025 to discuss the economic and national security implications of selling NVIDA's H200 chips to China and how the decision fits into the larger picture of U.S. AI policy.
As tensions continue to mount in the U.S.-China relationship, the traditional understanding of international security, with many countries choosing between U.S.-led security and China-led economic growth, is increasingly outdated. Instead, a new dynamic has emerged, where many countries now seek security cooperation with both the United States and China at the same time.
In an interview conducted on July 24, 2025, Sheena Greitens and Isaac Kardon joined Phillip C. Saunders to discuss the rising phenomenon of third countries' "security hybridization" and the implications for the U.S.-China relationship.
About this program
The death of Pope Francis came at a delicate moment in the Vatican's relationship with China. Since 2018, the Holy See has pursued a cautious and often controversial diplomatic engagement with Beijing to maintain the Church's relevance in China while navigating the Chinese Communist Party's strict control over religion.
This approach has unfolded against a backdrop of repression of underground clergy and growing pressure from Beijing for the Vatican to sever ties with Taiwan. For observers, this period offers insight into how a global religious institution operates within a system in which space for religion and civil society is tightly constrained. With the new pope's first hundred days behind him, long-standing questions about religious freedom, geopolitical recognition, and the boundaries of engagement remain central, and may take on new dimensions under his leadership.
In a conversation recorded on August 17, Ian Johnson, Francesco Sisci, and Karrie Koessel discuss the key issues currently shaping China–Vatican relations and how they may evolve under the new pope.
About this program
The U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA), the first bilateral agreement signed shortly after the United States and China established diplomatic relations in 1979, has been renewed multiple times. Scientists from the two countries have collaborated on cancer prevention, malaria treatment, vaccines, and more; the results of their efforts have benefited the people of both countries and the world. In August 2024, the STA expired, but on December 13, 2024, the two countries signed a protocol amending the STA and extending it for another five years, suggesting that rumors of the death of collaboration were premature. However, the actual agreement wasn't published for four months, in April 2025.
In an interview conducted on August 5, 2025, Scott Kennedy, Deborah Seligsohn, and Denis Simon speak with Abigail Coplin about the renewal of the STA, the future of U.S.-China scientific cooperation, and implications for overall U.S.-China relations.
About this program
🚨 Check out the new China & the Hill Legislation Database! 🚨
China & the Hill is now on Substack
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
🚨 Check out the new China & the Hill Legislation Database! 🚨
China & the Hill is now on Substack
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
How has China added so much green energy to its grid in such a short time? As energy demand increases in China's industrial, commercial, and residential sectors, energy providers are adding wind and solar sources to the grid at record rates. However, China's power sector needs to manage the precarious balance between market liberalization, decarbonization, and energy security to ensure everyone, from policymakers to the people, is happy. Chinese local government officials navigate these complex situations through hundreds of thousands of experiments – the results of which could have lessons for the rest of the world.
David Fishman joined us in October 2025 to discuss China's the achievements produced and challenged faced by the power sector.
🚨 Check out the new China & the Hill Legislation Database! 🚨
China & the Hill is now on Substack
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Daniel Kritenbrink delivered the 2025 Barnett-Oksenberg Lecture on Sino-American Relations in Shanghai on October 27. Now in its fourteenth year, this annual lecture affords the opportunity for a frank and forthright discussion of current and potential issues between the two countries; it is the first and only ongoing lecture series on U.S.-China relations that takes place on the Mainland.
Daniel Kritenbrink is a former ambassador to Vietnam and assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs. He is currently a Partner at The Asia Group.
Watch the full lecture, including the question and answer section, here.
🚨 Check out the new China & the Hill Legislation Database! 🚨
China & the Hill is now on Substack
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is now on Substack!
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
What factors are driving China's military modernization and how are the U.S. and Chinese militaries dettering each other from a military conflict?
Joel Wuthnow joined us in May 2025 to discuss these questions.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the videos on military modernization and deterrence.
This interview is part of our Faultlines series that examines the strategic differences between the United States and China. The two nations differ in how they see economic, military, cultural, and governance issues, but was this always the case? By examining the view from both sides of the faultline we can piece together how we got here and where we're going next.
How has U.S. defense policy responded to China's rise as military power in the Indo-Pacific and how do nukes fit into discussions of deterrence?
Oriana Skylar Mastro joined us in April 2025 to discuss these questions.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the videos on military modernization and deterrence.
This interview is part of our Faultlines series that examines the strategic differences between the United States and China. The two nations differ in how they see economic, military, cultural, and governance issues, but was this always the case? By examining the view from both sides of the faultline we can piece together how we got here and where we're going next.
China & the Hill is now on Substack!
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
How does the Chinese government view American cultural products and what is the role of journalism in China?
Zhifan Luo joined us in May 2025 to discuss narratives about America in China and the difference between institutional and independent journalism in China.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the video here.
This interview is part of our Faultlines series that examines the strategic differences between the United States and China. The two nations differ in how they see economic, military, cultural, and governance issues, but was this always the case? By examining the view from both sides of the faultline we can piece together how we got here and where we're going next.
How does the American government view Chinese people and products and how has this view changed as U.S.-China relations have changed?
Viola Zhou joined us in April 2025 to discuss how curiosity towards China turned into skepticism.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the video here.
This interview is part of our Faultlines series that examines the strategic differences between the United States and China. The two nations differ in how they see economic, military, cultural, and governance issues, but was this always the case? By examining the view from both sides of the faultline we can piece together how we got here and where we're going next.
How does religion work in China? Officially, the government recognizes five religions, but people and their practices don’t fit neatly into these categories. Spiritual folk traditions are widely practiced and look like religious activity, but the Chinese government labels these actions as “intangible cultural heritage,” sometimes supporting and subsidizing them. However, the government still views some religions with skepticism, especially those with possible foreign ties, such as Christianity or Islam. Nonetheless, underground churches, mosques, and temples persist in the gray zone between what is officially allowed and what actually plays out on the ground. As people in China continue to flock towards religion, the government will need to navigate its role as a referee in religious life and the tension that arises from the intricate dynamic.
Ian Johnson joined us in September 2025 to explore how religion is viewed by the government and people in China and how its practice is managed in everyday life.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the video here
China & the Hill is now on Substack!
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China’s soft power strategy has been largely unable to resonate with global audiences, but Labubus have taken the world by storm. From Thailand to Texas, Pop Mart stores are popping up to satiate consumers’ desire for these collectable toys. Contrary to state-backed soft power strategies, Labubus tapped into organic market-driven trends, such as blind-box culture, to reach a wide and dedicated audience. Labubus can also serve as a gateway to China, introducing people to Chinese artists and incentivizing them to visit POPLAND in Beijing to collect exclusive toys. Are Labubus the exception to China’s previous soft power pursuits, or a sign of a successful new strategy?
Natalia Cote-Muñoz joined us in September 2025 to share how Labubus are resonating across different cultures and changing the way people perceive China.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the video
China & the Hill is now on Substack!
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
How does China want the world to work? Beijing views the current global governance system as one that skews unfairly in favor of Western powers. China seeks to reshape the dynamics in international organizations in pursuit of its own goals, mimicking the multilateral foreign policy that the United States pursued during the Cold War. However, unlike the United States, China prefers to build economic partnerships instead of military alliances – such as through BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Agreement, or the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. How does China’s alternate vision for global governance differ from the United States’ and will it resonate with the rest of the world?
Olivia Cheung joined us in May 2025 to discuss the ways China wants to change the global governance system and how it engages with multilateral institutions.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the video here.
This interview is part of our Faultlines series that examines the strategic differences between the United States and China. The two nations differ in how they see economic, military, cultural, and governance issues, but was this always the case? By examining the view from both sides of the faultline we can piece together how we got here and where we’re going next.
What is global governance and why does the United States care about it?
Esther Brimmer joined us in June 2025 to discuss the United States' role in global governance systems and what future realms of global governance can look like.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the video here.
This interview is part of our Faultlines series that examines the strategic differences between the United States and China. The two nations differ in how they see economic, military, cultural, and governance issues, but was this always the case? By examining the view from both sides of the faultline we can piece together how we got here and where we’re going next.
China & the Hill is now on Substack!
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
On June 22, 2025, the United States launched a preventive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, a decision that reverberated beyond the Middle East. How might this action reshape thinking about deterrence in the Taiwan Strait? The strike has raised broader questions about U.S. strategy, the credibility of its security assurances, and the potential role of preventive military force in future conflicts.
In a conversation recorded on September 5, 2025, M. Taylor Fravel, Amanda Hsiao, and Jennifer Staats consider what the Iran strike signals about Washington’s willingness to use force and implications for Taiwan, East Asia, and the future of U.S. military strategy.
About the speakers
How is the United States trying to grow and safeguard its economic strength?
Wendy Edelberg joined us in June 2025 to discuss the United States' role in the global economy and what the U.S. trade deficit with China means.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the video here.
This interview is part of our Faultlines series that examines the strategic differences between the United States and China. The two nations differ in how they see economic, military, cultural, and governance issues, but was this always the case? By examining the view from both sides of the faultline we can piece together how we got here and where we’re going next.
China & the Hill is now on Substack! → This week's edition
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Basketball is more than a favorite American pastime. It has expanded into a global cultural movement that combines sports, fashion, and lifestyle. Chinese players such as Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin drew attention to untapped basketball talent in Asia and helped bring basketball culture to China. The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) taps into that energy through elevating Asian university-level basketball competition on the continent. The AUBL, drawing from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States for inspiration, seeks to capture and shape a uniquely Asian basketball fan culture. How is Asia a new frontier for one of America’s biggest sports exports?
AUBL CEO Jay Li joined us in August 2025 to share the future of university-level basketball in Asia and its potential to bridge people across countries.
China’s GDP is projected to reach $25.83 trillion USD in 2030, as it continues to grow at a faster rate than the United States’. China’s role in the global economy has shifted from “The World’s Factory” to a technological and economic powerhouse. Yet, China’s economy operates differently than Western ones – raising questions of how these divergent economic models will either coexist or clash. How is China protecting and promoting its position in the global economy, and how is the United States dealing with its economic rival?
Ka Zeng joined us in June 2025 to discuss how China acts in global economic institutions amid economic competition with the United States.
China & the Hill is now on Substack! → This week's edition
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Critical minerals have become a cornerstone of economic and geopolitical competition, essential to technologies from EVs to advanced defense systems. China’s dominance in the sector reflects decades of strategic planning and global shifts in supply chains. This conversation examines how China attained its current position, the scale of its capacity, and why these minerals are so vital to national security and the energy transition. It also considers how recent global disruptions, including the war in Ukraine, COVID-19, and the U.S.-China trade war, have exposed strategic vulnerabilities in mineral supply chains. In response, the United States and its partners are seeking alternative supply chains through multilateral initiatives and emerging technologies to reduce dependence on China. As the global demand for critical minerals surges, policy choices made now will shape the future of technological leadership and economic resilience.
About the speakers
China & the Hill is now on Substack! → https://ncuscr.substack.com
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
“China’s New Economic Weapons: Statecraft, Strategy, and the Future of U.S.-China Economic Relations” examines how the Chinese government is increasingly leveraging its economic power for strategic and coercive purposes. In their report, Evan S. Medeiros and Andrew Polk explore the evolution of China’s economic toolkit and how various measures are deployed in service of Beijing’s political objectives. Drawing on recent case studies, the report assesses the drivers behind the development of these new tools, the implications for foreign firms and governments, and the strategic challenges they introduce into an already fragile U.S.-China relationship.
In an interview conducted on July 28, 2025, report co-authors Evan Medeiros and Andrew Polk join Ka Zeng to discuss how China’s economic coercion has changed, what it signals about China’s future global role, and how the United States and its partners should respond.
About the speakers
After the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s economy has struggled to regain momentum. Low domestic demand has impacted multiple industries, while rising youth unemployment is fueling concern among local communities. In response, the Chinese government has introduced a range of policies to strengthen vocational education, aiming to equip young people with practical skills for a growing tech sector.
On July 17, 2025, an interview with Eli Friedman and Yun Zhou, moderated by Andrew Liu, examines key features of China’s labor market, analyzes shifting economic trends, and explores the broader impact of socio-cultural attitudes in the workplace.
About the speakers
China & the Hill is now on Substack! → https://ncuscr.substack.com
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Read this week's edition.
In 1995, the world turned its attention to Beijing as thousands gathered for the Fourth World Conference on Women – an event that produced the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Nearly three decades later, its legacy continues to inform gender equity movements around the world. What has its impact been within China, particularly in spaces where women are still underrepresented, such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics?
In an interview conducted on May 29, 2025, Yangyang Cheng and Gina Tam join Abigail Coplin for a conversation that connects past momentum with present realities, exploring the roles women in China have played – and continue to play – in advancing national development.
About this program
China & the Hill is now on Substack! → https://ncuscr.substack.com
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Read this week's edition.
China & the Hill is now on Substack! → https://ncuscr.substack.com
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Read this week's edition.
🚨 China & the Hill is now on Substack! → https://ncuscr.substack.com
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Read this week's edition.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
🚨 China & the Hill is now on Substack! → https://ncuscr.substack.com
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Read this week's edition.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
🚨 China & the Hill is now on Substack! → https://ncuscr.substack.com
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Read this week's edition.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
China's period of rapid industrialization generated unsustainable waste and posed significant threats to humans, wildlife, and the environment. A handful of dedicated environmental activists in China pushed for policy change, leveraging technological and educational collaboration between American and Chinese scientists and preexisting U.S. regulatory approaches to manage China’s pollution problem. However, China’s approach to environmental regulation ultimately took a different path to accommodate its ongoing development process. Despite their differences, the two countries play critical roles in the global effort to develop environmental solutions.
In Ma Tianjie’s new book In Search of Green China, he recounts how public outrage pushed China towards an environmental awakening, inspiring policies that prioritized environmental protection without giving up economic development. What role will China play in the global environmental movement as it pursues its green transition?
Ma Tianjie joins the National Committee on June 19, 2025 to describe the stunning story behind China’s environmental awakening.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the YouTube video here
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Read this week's edition.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
Read this week's edition.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
How is China dealing with urbanization and what problems have urbanization brought about?
Join our PIP Fellows Mark W. Fraizer and Nick R. Smith for a discussion on urbanization in China, its consequences, and how it relates to other parts of the world.
Click here to see the speakers' bios.
NPR correspondent Emily Feng tells the stories of nearly two dozen people in China who define for themselves what it means to be Chinese. She profiles a Uyghur family; human rights lawyers fighting to defend civil liberties despite the dangers; a teacher from Inner Mongolia forced to make hard choices because of his support of his native language; and a Hong Kong fugitive trying to find a new home and live in freedom. In Let Only Red Flowers Bloom, she reveals dramatic stories of resistance and survival in a country that is increasingly closing itself off to the world. To understand modern China, one has to understand the people who live there and how they interact with the Chinese state.
In an interview conducted on April 9, 2025, Emily Feng reflects on identity in China: what does it mean to be Chinese?
About the speaker
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Read this week's edition of C&TH: https://mailchi.mp/ncuscr/china-and-the-hill-6-3-25
At a time of heightened tension and strategic recalibration, the U.S.-China relationship is undergoing significant change as the Trump Administration announces high tariffs on Chinese goods and trade and investment restrictions while also signaling that President Trump may be open to negotiations. Sino-American competition is intensifying across economic, political, and technological realms, and opportunities for collaboration to tackle global issues such as AI governance, climate change, and public health remain elusive. From debates over trade and industrial policy to diverging visions of the global order, the world’s two largest powers are navigating a period of profound uncertainty.
Alison Friedman, Andrew Polk, and Jessica Chen Weiss joined NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins on May 20 for the National Committee’s annual Members’ Program, where they discussed the state of the U.S.-China relationship from cultural, economic and trade, and political perspectives.
About the speakers
Soft power is not just about movies and television shows, but the ability to attract people to one’s country through cultural influence and persuasion. Tourists and international students traveling to China interact with the people and culture, influencing their worldview along the way. How effective is China’s soft power on a collective and individual level and what is the impact of China’s soft power on the rest of the world?
Irene Wu joins the National Committee on May 8, 2025 to discuss soft power and how countries like China use it.
Click here to learn more about the speakers.
With the fifth anniversary of the last big Hong Kong marches behind us and the first anniversary of the National Security Law’s imposition on the horizon, Jeffrey Wasserstrom and Emily Feng assess the city’s recent past and significantly changed realities. What is the legacy of the protest surge of 2019? What is most and least surprising about how Hong Kong has been transformed in this decade? How can we place the Hong Kong story into national narratives about the way the PRC has been moving under Xi Jinping? How can we connect the Hong Kong events to trends in other parts of Asia and beyond?
In an interview conducted on April 9, 2025, Jeffrey Wasserstrom and Emily Feng, in conversation with Sewell Chan, discuss the implications of developments in Hong Kong over the last ten years for HK-mainland relations, Sino-American relations, and trends in the region.
About the speakers
With U.S.-China tariff levels reaching historic highs and a fragile truce now in place, economic experts examine how the trade relationship has shifted in 2025—and where it might be headed next. What are the strategic goals behind the sweeping tariff measures imposed by both sides? How are they reshaping trade flows, business decisions, and bilateral diplomacy? What lessons can we draw from the past seven years of trade tensions, and how do current developments fit into broader patterns of economic decoupling and strategic competition?
In an interview conducted on May 13, 2025, Claire Reade and Andrew Greenland join PIP fellow Spencer Cohen to explore the implications of recent tariff developments for U.S.-China trade, domestic political pressures, and the global economic order.
About the speakers
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Read this week's edition of C&TH: https://mailchi.mp/ncuscr/china-and-the-hill-5-13-25
CHINA Town Hall (CTH), a program that provides a snapshot of the current U.S.-China relationship and examines how that relationship reverberates at the local level – in our towns, states, and nation – connects people around the country with U.S. policymakers and thought leaders on China. The 2025 CHINA Town Hall program took place on Thursday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, and discussed President Trump’s China policy 100 days in. Featured speakers included Ryan Hass, Director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution; Matthew Turpin, Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution; and Lingling Wei, Chief China Correspondent at The Wall Street Journal. Since CTH launched in 2007, the National Committee has proudly partnered with a range of institutions and civic groups, colleges and universities, trade and business associations, world affairs councils, and think tanks to convene town halls and bring this important national conversation to local communities around America (and a few overseas).
About this program: https://www.ncuscr.org/program/cth/
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
China remains one of the largest capital exporters in the world, yet there is generally a lack of reliable information on the consequences of Chinese overseas projects. These projects range into the billions and can be transformative for local economies, especially for emerging technologies, large-scale infrastructure, and sustainable energy projects. However, regulations for Chinese outbound investment can be immature and Chinese firms sometimes resort to shortcuts, violating laws of the host state. Particular areas of concern are labor violations and degradation of local environments. From building electrical transmission lines that power Brazil to mining bauxite in Guinea to produce aluminum, Chinese overseas projects affect the economy, local communities, and environment in many ways. How can the stories of these projects shed light on the good and bad practices of Chinese outbound investment?
Check out our website to learn more about the casebook and speakers as well as to watch the YouTube video!
China remains one of the largest capital exporters in the world, yet there is generally a lack of reliable information on the consequences of Chinese overseas projects. These projects range into the billions and can be transformative for local economies, especially for emerging technologies, large-scale infrastructure, and sustainable energy projects. However, regulations for Chinese outbound investment can be immature and Chinese firms sometimes resort to shortcuts, violating laws of the host state. Particular areas of concern are labor violations and degradation of local environments. From building electrical transmission lines that power Brazil to mining bauxite in Guinea to produce aluminum, Chinese overseas projects affect the economy, local communities, and environment in many ways. How can the stories of these projects shed light on the good and bad practices of Chinese outbound investment?
Check out our website to learn more about the casebook and speakers as well as to watch the YouTube video!
Efforts to normalize relations between India and China signal a potential shift in one of Asia’s most complex rivalries. As both countries navigate de-escalation efforts while advancing competing strategic interests and structural issues remain, we will examine the geopolitical calculus behind the apparent thaw and its implications for regional security. How will these developments shape India’s engagement with China, the Quad, and the broader Indo-Pacific balance?
At this critical juncture, on March 18, 2025, Mark Frazier sat down with Manjari Chatterjee Miller and Liu Zongyi to evaluate the strategic dimensions of this evolving relationship. They discussed its potential effects on regional security, the power equilibrium in the Indo-Pacific, and the roles of important mini-lateral groupings like BRICS and the Quad.
About the speakers
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and the Beijing Green Finance Association, under the guidance of the Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy at Tsinghua University, convened the fourth Track II Dialogue on Climate Finance and Trade in September 2024. The teams discussed foreign direct investment in climate-related projects, carbon markets, COP29 climate finance issues, and climate-related financial disclosures. Since the dialogue, the atmosphere for climate collaboration has vastly shifted.
In this conversation, recorded on March 21, 2025, Track II delegation leaders David Sandalow and Ma Jun, discussed the main takeaways from the dialogue and the future of global climate collaboration.
About the speakers
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
The development of Intelligent Connected Vehicles (ICVs) and Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) represents a pivotal technological and economic frontier. China and the United States are vying for supremacy in this sector which could define global leadership in the next few decades. As these technologies advance, they carry concerns for road safety, personal data protection, and ethics. Differing regulatory environments, cybersecurity issues, and technology decoupling efforts create divergent innovation priorities and processes between the two countries.
On March 6, 2025, Rui Ma and Lei Xing joined Peilei Fan to explore the state of ICV/AV technologies in both the United States and China, as well as areas of competition and potential collaboration.
Learn more about this program and watch the YouTube video here.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
In 2020, China implemented the National Security Law (NSL) in Hong Kong, making a wide range of political activities illegal and further reducing the city’s autonomy. Last November, a court sentenced 45 pro-democracy figures to four to ten years in prison in the largest trial since the NSL was adopted. Political and legal changes have continued in Hong Kong, reshaping the Legislative Council and the way cases deemed a matter of “national security” are decided. What does the current situation in Hong Kong mean for the future of civil liberties and human rights in the city? What are the broader implications for Hong Kong’s future as a global financial center and intellectual hub? How do events in Hong Kong affect U.S.-China relations?
In an interview recorded on February 28, 2025, Carole Petersen and Ho-Fung Hung, in conversation with Thomas Kellogg, discuss the ongoing changes in Hong Kong.
Learn more about this program and watch the YouTube video here.
The decline in U.S.-China people-to-people exchange opportunities between the United States and China is widening the gap of cross-cultural understanding, leaving room for misconceptions in spite of many shared concerns and aspirations. How can people in the two countries learn about their differences and similarities, and what are the key things they need to know to better understand one another?
Zichen Wang joins the National Committee in an interview recorded on Feb 28, 2025, to explain the mixed signals both sides are sending to each other, and how both the United States and China view the world today.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the YouTube video here.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Fair Use Disclaimer:
This podcast includes soundbites from the following publicly available sources for commentary, reporting, and analysis under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act. Their use does not imply endorsement, and all rights remain with their respective owners.
Kari Lake discusses USAGM changes
Trump and Hegseth deny Musk briefing
China’s government is seeking to lure foreign investors to do business in China, but many remain hesitant due to China’s economic uncertainty. Healthcare is an important area for U.S.-China business collaboration, promising innovations that can cure health issues around the world. What can encourage U.S. businesses to invest in China and how can the Chinese government balance the need to provide safety and stability to both domestic and foreign investors?
Roberta Lipson joins the National Committee in an interview recorded on February 18, 2025 to share her observations and recommend ways to encourage healthy business collaboration and support U.S. investment in critical sectors.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the youtube video here.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal sided with the Philippines in a case against China’s claims in the South China Sea. However, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who sought to bring the Philippines’ foreign policy closer to China, said the ruling was just “paper” fit for the waste bin. After Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. became the president in 2022, Philippine foreign policy shifted back towards strengthening its alliance with the United States. How does the Philippines manage its economic and security relationships with China, the United States, and other Southeast Asian nations?
Marites Vitug (Rappler), co-author of Unrequited Love: Duterte’s Embrace of China, joins the National Committee in an interview recorded on March 3, 2025 to discuss foreign policy towards China, the United States, and ASEAN.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the youtube video here: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/philippines-foreign-policy/
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
On February 21, 2025, the President of the United States issued a memorandum to members of his cabinet and other executive agency directors describing the administration’s investment policy. The statement begins by stating that investment policy is key to the country’s national and economic security. While investment by “allies and partners” can create jobs and wealth for the United States, investment by “foreign adversaries,” including China, is not in the national interest. The United States will establish new rules to prevent American companies and investors from investing in certain Chinese industries and will use all available legal tools to restrict PRC-affiliated individuals from investing in strategic sectors in the United States.
The memorandum raises many questions, among them: what might change as a result? What specific restrictions are likely to be imposed on inbound and outbound investment? In an interview conducted on February 28, 2025, Nicholas Borst, in conversation with Steve Orlins, discusses the implications of the policy for U.S.-China economic and trade relations.
About the speakers
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for the video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr), Instagram (@ncuscr), and LinkedIn.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
China’s internet is famously walled off from the global web. Despite barriers including censorship and moderation practices, a unique Chinese digital ecosystem has flourished—and unexpectedly, attracted Americans. The recent temporary exodus of TikTok users to RedNote presented a rare opportunity for American and Chinese peoples to digitally interact on a large scale, sharing views and opinions on the Chinese internet’s own turf. Why is China’s internet so different from the global internet and in what ways can it be a bridge, or barrier, for online exchange?
Yaling Jiang joins the National Committee in an interview recorded on February 9, 2025 to introduce China's internet, its evolution, and forms of censorship that exist within it.
Learn more about the speaker.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
In January 2022, Hasani Arnold began sharing his experiences on social media as one of just a few hundred American students in China during the COVID pandemic. Since then, he has found an audience as a cross-cultural content creator, showing both American and Chinese audiences what they might not know about each other. Hasani’s educational experiences opened the door for him to compare and comprehend societal, cultural, and linguistic differences between the two countries.
Hasani Arnold joins the National Committee in an interview recorded on February 6, 2025 to share his story as a Black student in China and content creator in the Chinese-language social media space.
Learn more about the speaker and watch the YouTube video here: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/navigating-china-as-a-black-student-content-creator/
Follow Hasani on social media: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hasaniarnold?lang=en Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hasani_arnold/?hl=en YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcx8LqthPva_AU_N0GGQMng
On January 10, 2025, DeepSeek, a Hangzhou-based artificial intelligence (AI) platform founded in 2023, released its first free chatbot app, which is said to match the capabilities of models from its U.S. counterparts, including OpenAI and Google, while using a fraction of their computing power. This milestone underscores China’s rapid AI progress despite U.S. restrictions on advanced semiconductors, potentially narrowing the technological gap between the two countries and challenging U.S. dominance in the field.
With AI being a key area in technological development and trade, understanding the dynamics of this race is more urgent than ever. On February 4, 2025, Kevin Xu and Jimmy Goodrich join Lizzi Lee to discuss the implications of China’s AI advances and the future of U.S.-China AI competition.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/deepseek-and-us-china-ai-competition/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for the video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr), Instagram (@ncuscr), and LinkedIn.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
This episode includes a soundbite from Secretary of State Marco Rubio via The Megyn Kelly Show, January 2024.
Join Kevin Xu, founder of Interconnected Capital, and Zhan Xianyuan, Assistant Professor at the Tsinghua University Institute for AI Industry Research, as they discuss the future of U.S.-China AI competition and collaboration. This discussion is moderated by Liu Xin, Senior Host at China Global Television Network (CGTN).
This dialogue was part of the 2024 U.S.-China People’s Dialogue, which took place in Beijing on November 21, 2024. See full bios and learn more about the event: https://www.ncuscr.org/2024-us-china-peoples-dialogue/
For decades, China’s reform and opening-up era brought economic growth, political stability, and greater openness to both ideas and investment from the outside world. But in recent years, the country has shifted into what Professor Carl Minzner describes as an "age of counterreform." What defines this new era, and how are China's leadership and society adapting?
In an interview recorded on November 21, 2024, Carl Minzner joins the National Committee to discuss the evolution of political norms, the future challenges China will face, and the return to centralized party control under Xi Jinping’s leadership.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/counterreform-carl-minzner/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for the video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr), Instagram (@ncuscr), and LinkedIn.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Listen to Yao Ming, former NBA player and former President of the Chinese Basketball Association, and Logan Tom, Vice President of Player Personnel for the U.S. Pro Volleyball Federation and head coach of Maccabi Raanana, talk about U.S.-China sports exchange in a discussion moderated by Nancy Yao, Assistant Professor Adjunct & Assistant Dean for the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University. This dialogue was part of the 2024 U.S.-China People’s Dialogue, which took place in Beijing on November 21, 2024. See full bios and learn more about the event: https://www.ncuscr.org/2024-us-china-peoples-dialogue/
Listen to NYU Shanghai's Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman and Tsinghua University's Vice President & Provost Yang Bin provide insight on the state of U.S.-China higher education exchange in a discussion moderated by CGTN's Senior Host Liu Xin. This dialogue was part of the 2024 U.S.-China People’s Dialogue, which took place in Beijing on November 22, 2024.
Over two billion people on the planet experienced food insecurity in 2023, including 18 million households in the United States. The actions of one country can affect the food security of others, and global issues such as climate change, military conflicts, and rising food prices can cause supply chain instabilities and shortages. How can we lower the barriers preventing people from accessing stable sources of nutritious food? How do the United States and China, two of the largest food importers and exporters, contribute to local, regional, and global food security?
Sophia Murphy joins the National Committee in an interview recorded on November 25, 2024, to discuss the meaning and history of food security and how countries, like the United States and China, shape the future of global food security.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/food-security/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for the video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr), Instagram (@ncuscr), and LinkedIn.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Soundbite of former U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher sourced from CBS News.
The Mekong River provides millions of people in and beyond Southeast Asia with food, water, and agricultural productivity. Twenty percent of the world’s freshwater fish comes from the Mekong River, supplying the shelves of stores across the globe. However, the river system is threatened by climate change and upstream dams. While many countries of the Mekong basin prioritize the health of the river, China places economic growth above those concerns. How can the United States, China, and Lower Mekong River (LMR) countries work together to keep the Mekong healthy?
Brian Eyler joins the National Committee in an interview recorded on October 11, 2024 to explain the global significance of the Mekong River, pressing threats to the region, and how U.S.-China collaboration can keep the river healthy.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/mekong-river/
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Fast fashion is possible because of international trade. Each year, the global fashion industry generates more than $4 trillion USD and provides families with affordable clothing options. However, as fast fashion continues to grow, so does awareness of pressing issues such as labor standards and environmental sustainability. How are the United States and China involved in the global fashion industry? How can they collaborate on the issues facing the global fast fashion industry, from production to consumption
Sheng Lu joins the National Committee in an interview recorded in October 11, 2024 to discuss how fast fashion is a global phenomenon and how the United States and China can cooperate on common areas of concern.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/fast-fashion/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for the video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr), Instagram (@ncuscr), and LinkedIn.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
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Although Chinese marriage law states that men and women are equal, implementation of the law in divorce cases reveals gender disparities. In divorce lawsuits, women are often left without remedies for domestic violence and mothers lose custody of their children. Rural women face the additional disadvantage of lacking resources to help them navigate the divorce process. How are gender disparities revealed when women seek divorce in China?
Ke Li joins the National Committee in an interview recorded on November 21, 2024 to share her research into the processes and challenges rural women go through to obtain a divorce in China.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/divorce-in-china/
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China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Subscribe, or read the latest edition.
China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC’s China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of this week’s most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.
China & the Hill is published by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Subscribe, or read the latest edition.
In a nation famous for its megacities, it’s hard to grasp that China is the world’s third most biodiverse country and 42% uninhabited wilderness. Yet protecting wild Chinese flora and fauna is crucial to preserving a healthy climate. How does China interact with the wilderness on their doorstep, and how are conservation efforts bridging the gap between man and nature?
In an interview recorded on February 28, 2024, conservationist Kyle Obermann joins us for Earth Month to share his experiences documenting China’s little-known wild places.
About the speaker
Follow Kyle Obermann on X: @KyleExplores
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
As tensions continue to mount in the U.S.-China relationship, concerns have grown among U.S. political and military leaders regarding China's defense spending, which is often said to be significantly higher than it actually is. In a new report, M. Taylor Fravel, George Gilboy, and Eric Heginbotham argue that the estimate that China’s military spending has surged to $700 billion depends on flawed assumptions and miscalculations. The claim has gained traction in various circles, including in the U.S. Congress and the media, where some suggest China’s military budget is comparable to that of the United States.
In an interview conducted on October 9, 2024, M. Taylor Fravel, George Gilboy, and Eric Heginbotham, in conversation with Maryanne Kivlehan-Wise, discuss the implications of overestimating China’s defense spending and offer alternative methods to gauge China’s spending more accurately.
About the speakers
The fentanyl crisis is a serious public health and security issue, particularly in the United States, with its high number of overdose deaths. Chinese entities play a significant role in the fentanyl supply chain, from chemical precursors to money laundering. While efforts to regulate production in China have been inconsistent, Beijing’s recent move to restrict fentanyl-related chemicals, after years of U.S. pressure, shows potential cooperation ahead of the U.S. election.
In an interview conducted on October 8, 2024, Zongyuan Zoe Liu and Rick Waters, in conversation with Tobias Smith, explore the critical intersection of the U.S. fentanyl crisis and its impact on U.S.-China relations, particularly in the context of the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/fentanyl-and-us-china-relations-in-2024/
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Within the first two weeks of October 2024, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton ravaged parts of the United States’ east coast. Notable natural disasters are increasing in frequency and ferocity across both the United States and China, highlighting the urgent need for solutions. Amid the global climate crisis, the capability of artificial intelligence in cutting-edge fields such as extreme weather forecasting and self-driving electric vehicles (EVs) is advancing at an unprecedented rate, showcasing its remarkable potential to address climate issues. What are the challenges in balancing rapid AI development with environmental sustainability? How are the United States and China addressing these concerns?
Kevin Xu joins the National Committee in an interview recorded September 2024 to offer in-depth insights into how China and the United States are utilizing AI technology to address critical climate challenges and potential opportunities for future collaboration.
COVID-19 and U.S.-China Relations examines the profound and lasting impact of COVID-19 on Sino-American relations. It covers an array of areas including public health, trade and supply chain challenges, people-to-people connections, shifts in public opinion, rising nationalism, anti-Asian sentiment, and strategic assessments. Since the pandemic’s outbreak in late 2019, China and the United States have both suffered enormously. So too has the U.S.-China relationship, which was already at a low point before COVID-19 accelerated its deterioration. With contributions by leading and emerging scholars from both nations, the open-access volume reflects a collaborative effort, emphasizing the importance of bilateral dialogue. As the world moves beyond the COVID era, this book offers insights into potential pathways for rebuilding and redefining U.S.-China relations.
In an interview conducted on September 26, 2024, volume editor Zheng Wang is joined by chapter contributors Yanzhong Huang and Joan Kaufman in conversation with Margaret Lewis.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/covid-19-and-u-s-china-relations/
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What is a traditional Chinese farmhouse doing in West Virginia? Rather than allow the historic home to be demolished, Dr. John flower and a team of Chinese and U.S. volunteers moved the house over eight thousand miles from China to the United States. China Folk House rebuilt the traditional Yunnan-style home in West Virginia with over 22 thousand hours of volunteer labor from community members and students. China Folk House aims to serve as a cultural exchange project, connecting U.S. and Chinese rural communities in cultural exchange, as well as spreading and preserving knowledge of local issues and traditional practices.
In an interview recorded on August 30, 2024, John Flower discusses his vision for the China Folk House project and its purpose to bridge rural communities in West Virginia and Yunnan through architecture and craftsmanship.
To overcome “brain drain,” some countries encourage their overseas nationals to use the knowledge they gained abroad to help their motherlands. Since the mid-1990s, China’s party-state efforts include a wide array of programs and incentives to encourage overseas talent to transfer their knowledge back home. Many Chinese working abroad participate, some to strengthen their former homeland, others from self-interest. Author David Zweig's new book, The War for Chinese Talent in America: The Politics of Technology and Knowledge in Sino-U.S. Relations, documents China’s effort to access U.S. technology and America’s vigorous counterattacks and efforts to disrupt the transfer of American technology to China.
In an interview conducted on September 10, 2024, David Zweig, in conversation with Yangyang Cheng, explores the status of Sino-American scientific collaboration and the outflow of some top Chinese talent from the United States back to China.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/the-war-for-chinese-talent-in-america/
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In both the United States and Canada, geopolitical tensions with China have given rise to domestic suspicions and even legal restrictions on Chinese communities. Both nations have a history of discriminatory laws and policies that excluded Chinese communities, leaving a legacy of anti-Asian sentiment that persists today. Recent events, including the spike in anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic and laws prohibiting Chinese nationals from purchasing property in some U.S. states, echo these historical patterns of exclusion and discrimination.
In an interview recorded on August 13, 2024, Henry Yu explores the relevance of historic Chinese migration on the Pacific coast to contemporary geopolitics, and how acknowledging this shared past can help foster more informed discussions on race and immigration in North America.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/chinese-immigration-canada-us/
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The 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) established barrier-free trade among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Several Chinese private-sector companies have set up manufacturing companies in Mexico that sell to the United States, thereby hoping to work around U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made products. As Chinese companies move production lines to Mexico, the United States grows more concerned about Chinese dominance in the global market. One prominent case study is in the electric vehicle (EV) market: Chinese EV manufacturers, which originally faced high tariffs in the U.S. market, are building up their manufacturing capacity in Mexico. The growing presence of comparatively cheaper Chinese EV materials in the U.S. market could present a threat to the future of U.S. EV companies.
In this interview recorded on September 3, 2024, join Meg Rithmire as she interviews Jorge Guajardo and Michael Dunne about the U.S.-China-Mexico economic relationship and its significance to the global electric vehicle market.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/made-in-china-us-mexico-china-ev/
Follow Jorge Guajardo on X: @jorge_guajardo
Follow Michael Dunne on X: @dunne_insights
Follow Meg Rithmire on X: @MegRithmire
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75% of China's over $1.1 trillion loans to low- and middle-income countries will have entered their repayment period by 2030. How will this debt be dealt with? The goals of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have evolved since its inception in 2013 and so have environmental protection standards and public opinion relating to BRI projects. How has the BRI navigated through existing and impending issues? How does China address scrutiny over the BRI's environmental and social protections, debt repayment setbacks, and other challenges?
In an interview recorded on July 8, 2024, Ammar A. Malik, senior research scientist at AidData, joins the National Committee to review the evolution of the Belt and Road Initiative’s goals and the future of the BRI.
The U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA), signed in 1979, was the first major bilateral agreement between the United States and China. Since then, it has been renewed multiple times and has facilitated China’s integration into the global economy. However, experts agree that the agreement no longer reflects China’s expanded scientific and technological (S&T) capacity, nor does it address U.S. concerns about China’s S&T practices and policies. After two six month extensions approved by President, the STA expired on August 27th, 2024.
In an interview conducted on August 21, 2024, Scott Moore speaks with Yasheng Huang and Deborah Seligsohn about current U.S.-China scientific collaboration, the legacy of the STA, and the potential future of an STA 2.0.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chinese-migrants-at-the-border/
Follow Deborah Seligsohn on X: @DebSeligsohn
Follow Yasheng Huang on X: @YashengHuang
Follow Scott Moore on X: @water_futures
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The United States and China are racing towards AI dominance. Many people don't know that artists and writers are at the forefront of shaping the legal future of AI. As both U.S. and Chinese AI tools grow ever-more sophisticated, courtrooms in both countries are left to decide legal boundaries on intellectual property issues. However, with AI's rapid development and an increasing focus on data security, blind spots in AI policy will continue to loom over not only artists and content creators but the future of U.S.-China tech relations. How will differing approaches to AI regulation in the United States and China shape both ordinary users and the future of AI?
In an interview recorded on August 15, 2024, Johanna Costigan joins the National Committee to discuss AI policy divergence and cooperation opportunities in the United States and China.
In 2023, U.S. border officials arrested over 37,000 Chinese nationals at the southern border, ten times as many as the previous year. The trend is so pronounced that “walking the line” (走线), as the journey from Central/South America to the U.S. southern border is known on Chinese social media, has become a buzzword in Chinese society. The resulting influx of Chinese migrants into the United States has drawn the attention of mainstream U.S. media, prompting calls for policymakers to act. The Department of Homeland Security announced on July 2, 2024, that it had sent 116 Chinese migrants back to China from the United States in the first “large charter flight” in five years, and will continue to work with China on future removal flights.
In a conversation moderated by Meredith Oyen on August 13, 2024, Gil Guerra and Leland Lazarus shared information about the issues surrounding current Chinese migrants and discussed the U.S. policy responses.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chinese-migrants-at-the-border/
Follow Gil Guerra on X: @gildeguerra
Follow Leland Lazarus on X: @LelandLazarus
Follow Meredith Oyen on X: @MeredithOyen
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In 1996, when Peter Hessler first went to China to teach, almost all of his students were first-generation college students. Most came from large rural families, and their parents, subsistence farmers, could offer little guidance as their children entered a new world. By 2019, when Mr. Hessler arrived at Sichuan University, he found a very different China, as well as a new kind of student – an only child whose schooling was the object of intense focus from a much more ambitious cohort of parents. China’s education system offers a means of examining the country’s past, present, and future. At a time when anti-Chinese rhetoric in America has grown intense, Other Rivers is a work of empathy that shows us China from the inside out and the bottom up.
In an interview conducted on August 6, 2024, Peter Hessler, in conversation with Lenora Chu, looks at Chinese education as a way to understand both China and the United States.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/peter-hessler-other-rivers/
Follow Peter Hessler on X: @peterhessler
Follow Lenora Chu on X: @LenoraChu
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Arriving in China more than thirty years ago with nothing more than an interest in Chinese culture and philosophy, David Moser ended up witnessing China’s monumental evolution from a country just discovering Coca Cola to a wealthy, worldly, and confident nation. His experiences in China inspired his enthusiasm for cultural exchange, the importance of curiosity, and the necessity of dialogue to grow greater understanding of the country he calls home.
In an interview recorded on July 5, 2024, David Moser joins the National Committee to discuss his insights into Chinese culture and the importance of engaging with each other through shared humanity.
What will China’s economic policy look like over the next five years? Since the launch of Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms in 1978, the Third Plenum (held every five years) has served as a platform for China’s leadership to convey its vision for the country’s economic future. Originally expected to convene in fall 2023, this Third Plenum was postponed until mid-July 2024. Although there was no public explanation for the delay, it is clear that China’s economy is at a crossroads. Since the last Third Plenum in 2018, the world has been through a pandemic; competitive tension with the U.S. has been on the rise; and China faces challenges that include an aging population, youth unemployment, and a troubled property sector. Foreign tariffs on Chinese goods have also increased, just as the CCP leadership navigates its role as a burgeoning global power in a time of international conflict and polarization.
Scott Kennedy, in conversation with Lizzi Lee, explores the implications of this Third Plenum for the future of China’s economy, economic policy, and international trade.
In May 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB264 (23R) into law, prohibiting Chinese nationals and those from some other countries from purchasing homes and other real estate in Florida. Republican state officials say the law is necessary to combat the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. Lawmakers in several states, including Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama, are considering similar restrictions on Chinese citizens owning property. Is the concern that propelled the law legitimate? How does it affect immigration from China? What are some potential consequences for Chinese citizens residing in the United States? What is the impact on the bilateral relationship?
On June 26, 2024, Elizabeth Plantan discussed the impact of Florida’s property law and other state-level laws aimed to restrict Chinese property ownership in the U.S. with Matthew Erie and Mae M. Ngai.
About the speakers
Follow Matthew Erie on X: @MatthewErie
Follow Elizabeth Plantan on X: @Enplantan
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China is growing in prominence on the world stage, highlighted by its leadership roles in international forums like the United Nations, peacebuilding efforts, and pioneering of economic relationships through the Belt and Road Initiative. Though China’s development offers new opportunities, its rise is also seen by many as a direct challenge to the post-World War II order largely established by the United States and allies. What is China’s desired role in the world, and what might a future shaped by Chinese goals and priorities look like?
In an interview filmed on June 6, 2024, NCUSCR Director Elizabeth Economy joins the National Committee to discuss China’s new world order and the role of the United States in a world where China has greater influence.
About the speaker
Follow Elizabeth Economy on X: @LizEconomy
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In 2022, the trade volume between the United States and China topped $750 billion dollars. Despite the deep economic interconnection between the two largest economies, both countries have been taking steps to separate their supply chains from each other—a process known as decoupling. What is the drive behind the U.S. desire to decouple from China and the ongoing trade war, and is it possible to decouple from China completely?
In an interview filmed on March 8, 2024, Clark Packard discusses how decoupling would affect the American and global economy.
About the speaker
Follow Clark Packard on X: @PackardClark
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In High Wire, Angela Zhang explores how China regulates its tech sector. By analyzing the incentives and interactions among the key players, Ms. Zhang introduces a dynamic pyramid model to analyze the structure, process, and outcome of China’s unique regulatory system. She showcases the self-regulatory tactics employed by Chinese tech titans to survive and thrive in an institutional environment plagued by fraud and corruption. The 2020-2022 tech crackdown led to the private sector’s retreat and the state’s advancement in the tech industry. These regulatory shifts have also steered investors from consumer tech businesses toward hardcore technologies that are essential for China’s bid to match, and perhaps overtake, the United States in innovation.
In an interview conducted on May 24, 2024, Angela Zhang, in conversation with Winston Ma, focuses on the recent past, present, and future of China’s tech governance, especially in the realm of generative artificial intelligence.
About the speakers
Follow Richard Fontaine on X: @AngelaZhangHK
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There is wide bipartisan agreement that Asia belongs at the center of U.S. foreign policy. What has been achieved since the Obama administration announced its “Pivot to Asia” in 2011? Robert Blackwill and Richard Fontaine argue in Lost Decade: The U.S. Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power that although the pivot made strategic sense, there have been few successes; furthermore, we need a far more coherent approach to the Indo-Pacific region. The authors stress that American policymakers must fully understand what the pivot to Asia aimed to achieve – and where it fell short – to gather the resources and forge the alliances and resolve necessary to preserve an open order in Asia and the world. Crafting an effective policy for the region is critical to preserving American security, prosperity, and democratic values.
In an interview conducted on May 14, 2024, Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine discuss the recent shift to Asia-centric geopolitics and its implications for America’s present and future.
About the speakers
Follow Richard Fontaine on X: @RHFontaine
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In the wake of Xi Jinping’s first visit to Europe in five years, the European Union and China continue to navigate an increasingly challenging period in relations. Concerns over growing trade imbalances, unfair subsidies in key industries, high-profile espionage cases, and China’s continued support for Russia and its war on Ukraine place increasing strain on this pivotal relationship. At the same time, economic interconnectivity and shared concerns over transnational issues like climate change and AI governance compel coordination and cooperation. President Xi’s recent visits to France, Hungary, and Serbia have underscored the divisions within the European Union regarding China policy, leaving the path forward uncertain.
At this critical juncture, on May 15, 2024, Jason Kelly sat down with Noah Barkin and Janka Oertel to unpack recent developments, key issues, and the road ahead for China and the European Union.
About the speakers
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/europe-china-relations/
Follow Noah Barkin on X: @noahbarkin
Follow Janka Oertel on X: @oertel_janka
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The U.S.-China bilateral relationship is a competitive one, from economics to security, diplomacy to geopolitics, technology to the oceans and deep space. It is subject to varying degrees of tension, punctuated by intermittent cooperation and now, a resumption of selective dialogue. Each side views the other with suspicion and the policies of both are in keeping with a sense of alarm. Yet the two countries seem to agree that decoupling the two economies would be a grave mistake and that security, including technological preeminence, is essential to development, growth, leadership, and sovereignty.
Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky spoke at the National Committee’s Annual Members Program on May 21, 2024, with NCUSCR Director Amy Celico. They discussed the foundations of the U.S.-China relationship, the policy focus and goals of each side, and opportunities for greater collaboration even in the face of political sensitivities and the de-risking driving economic and trade ties.
About the speakers: ncuscr.org/video/charlene-barshefsky-members-program
Follow Amy Celico on X: @AmyCelico
The military force of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), is the largest standing army in the world. However, the United States maintains the highest military expenditure in the world. How can Americans evaluate whether the U.S. or Chinese military is bigger?
In an interview conducted on April 15, 2024, Isaac Kardon discusses the comparative capabilities of the PLA and U.S. militaries, and how strategists evaluate the threat the PLA holds towards American territories.
U.S.-China Counterpoints explores common perspectives on the U.S.-China relationship held by those in both countries. Guided by leading experts, this series examines the facts behind common viewpoints, and the details that shape U.S.-China relations behind the headlines.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/pla-us-military
Follow Isaac Kardon on X: @IBKardon
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A full-out trade war erupted between the United States and China during the Trump administration, increasing tariffs on Chinese imports in dozens of sectors and leading to rising business competition and costs to consumers. How has this ongoing trade war impacted everyday U.S. and Chinese citizens? And how will the Biden administration handle the current tariffs placed on Chinese goods?
KU Trade War Lab Director Jack Zhang joined the National Committee to discuss the national and global consequences of the U.S.-China trade war on May 7, 2024.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/us-china-trade-war/
Follow Jack Zhang on X: @HanFeiTzu
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China was able to broker a historic global security agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, changing not only the Middle East’s regional dynamics, but also China’s position on the global diplomatic stage. China performs a balancing act between being a responsible stakeholder in world affairs, including the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars, and upholding its value of non-interference in other countries’ politics. Why is China positioning itself as a global peace broker and conflict mediator? What does this position say about China’s national trajectory and its relationship with the United States?
What’s are the advantages of China positioning itself as a global peace broker and conflict mediator? What does this position say about China’s national trajectory and its relationship with the United States? Preston Jordan Lim joined the National Committee on May 6, 2024 to discuss the diplomatic goals and national strategy of China’s engagement in global conflicts and resolutions.
About the speaker
Follow Preston Jordan Lim on X: @PrestonJordanL1
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Official U.S. policy towards Taiwan focuses on developing robust non-state relations with the island while advocating for a peaceful resolution to the cross-strait conflict. When considering American policy towards Taiwan, is more U.S. support good for Taiwan and regional peace?
Sara Newland, Assistant Professor of Government at Smith College, discusses the need to pay attention to Taiwan’s own desires and needs in the context of the China-U.S.-Taiwan relationship in this latest installment of U.S.-China Counterpoints in an interview conducted on November 3, 2023.
U.S.-China Counterpoints explores common perspectives on the U.S.-China relationship held by those in both countries. Guided by leading experts, this series examines the facts behind common viewpoints, and the details that shape U.S.-China relations behind the headlines.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/should-us-support-taiwan/
Follow Sara Newland on X: @NewlandSara
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
China is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, making its carbon abatement plans crucial to the future of global climate change mitigation. The country’s flagship climate goals aim to peak carbon levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 (“30-60 goals”). China has moved more slowly in developing its emissions trading system (ETS) than in other carbon abatement areas. 2021 marked the inception of China’s ETS, the largest carbon emissions market in the world. At the onset, the ETS showed promising returns, with close to $200 million tons of trading in the first transaction period (July-December 2021). However, over the past few years, China has moved slowly to expand the ETS to include more industries. Most recently, the government passed a new series of regulations that will strengthen the legitimacy of the market and authorize more penalties for companies that fabricate or fail to report their emissions.
On April 4, 2024, Michael Davidson joins Max Song and Xiaolu Zhao to discuss China’s emissions trading system and its implications for domestic and international climate goals.
About the speakers
Follow Max Song on X: @Pericarus
Follow Michael Davidson on X: @east_winds
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
In a nation famous for its megacities, it’s hard to grasp that China is the world’s third most biodiverse country and 42% uninhabited wilderness. Yet protecting wild Chinese flora and fauna is crucial to preserving a healthy climate. How does China interact with the wilderness on their doorstep, and how are conservation efforts bridging the gap between man and nature?
In an interview recorded on February 28, 2024, conservationist Kyle Obermann joins us for Earth Month to share his experiences documenting China’s little-known wild places.
About the speaker
Follow Kyle Obermann on X: @KyleExplores
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
A TikTok ban moved one step closer to reality when the House passed the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” in March 2024, and then moved to package the Act with foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan in mid-April. Though not yet a law, the bill draws attention to the deepening tech competition between the U.S. and China. While Chinese companies do manage to find space in U.S. markets and popularity with American consumers, at the same time they raise the suspicions of the U.S. government. TikTok is not the first Chinese tech company to run up against U.S. lawmakers or regulators, but the precedent set by TikTok’s case could impact U.S.-China relations for years to come.
In an interview recorded March 25, 2024, Wenchi Yu joins us to discuss how Chinese companies can better adapt and localize to the U.S. market and pave the way for healthier U.S.-China business relations.
About the speaker
Follow Wenchi Yu on X: @WenchiY
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On November 14th, 2023, the United States and China jointly issued the “Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis” which introduced several areas for U.S.-China climate cooperation. The statement aims to increase activities between states, provinces, and cities in the two countries, and to restart Track 1, 1.5, and 2 dialogues on energy transition strategies.
Meanwhile, John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua, the two veteran climate envoys responsible for hammering out global deals to address climate change, have both recently stepped down. Their successors, Liu Zhenmin and John Podesta, will build on a foundation of goodwill and communication, but have major challenges ahead. On March 29, 2024, Kelly Sims Gallagher and Li Shuo join the National Committee to discuss the future of U.S.-China climate diplomacy.
About the speakers
Follow Kelly Sims Gallagher on X: @kellysgallagher
Follow Li Shuo on X: @LiShuo_GP
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The 2024 CHINA Town Hall program took place on Tuesday, April 9, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET, with featured speaker Dr. Kurt Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State. Missed the event? Watch a recording of the livestream here.
CHINA Town Hall (CTH), a two-part program that provides a snapshot of the current U.S.-China relationship and examines how that relationship reverberates at the local level – in our towns, states, and nation, connects Americans around the country with U.S. policymakers and thought leaders on China.
Since CTH began in 2007, the National Committee has proudly partnered with a range of institutions and civic groups, colleges and universities, trade and business associations, world affairs councils, and think tanks to convene town halls and bring this important national conversation to local communities around America (and a few overseas).
About the speaker
About CHINA Town Hall
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David M. Lampton’s new book addresses a core critique of the management of Sino-American relations across eight administrations: that naïve American elites conflated their hopes for democracy and a globally responsible China with the actual prospects for those ends, and, in the process, traded away American interests, competitive position, and national security. The book challenges that narrative.
Developments in the U.S.-China relationship are converging in ways that are setting off major alarms; the level of hazard is unlike anything we have seen in a half-century. Living U.S.-China Relations describes the current situation and explains what has brought us to this juncture.
In an interview conducted on March 5, 2024, David M. Lampton, in conversation with Jan Berris and Gina Tam, discusses U.S.-China ties as a relationship between two societies, not just two states, through the vantage point of the author’s lived experience over nearly six decades.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/living-us-china-relations-cold-war/
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At the height of the Cold War, the United States made a bold political gamble to engage with an underdeveloped and politically isolated China. Engagement policy transformed not only the Cold War political landscape, but the trajectory of history: China is now one of the largest and most powerful economies in the world, and is widely considered by Americans to be a rival.
In this new era of U.S.-China relations, “engagement” has become a target for criticism in American political circles. Does it deserve this reputation? In an interview recorded on December 12, 2023, Diana Fu and Yun Sun discuss the legacy of engagement policy and what lessons Americans can learn from the past five decades of relations with China.
U.S.-China Counterpoints explores common perspectives on the U.S.-China relationship held by those in both countries. Guided by leading experts, this series examines the facts behind common viewpoints, and the details that shape U.S.-China relations behind the headlines.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/counterpoints-engagement/
Follow Diana Fu on X: @dianafutweets
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U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.
The Pacific Islands lie in China’s and the United States’ backyards. How can the two countries become better neighbors to the region to better the lives of those living in the Pacific? Graeme Smith, professor and podcast host, joined the National Committee on July 27, 2023 to broadly discuss the perspective from the Pacific Islands.
About the speaker
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Follow Graeme Smith on X: @GraemeKSmith
Listen to The Little Red Podcast
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The United States and its allies have been combating Houthi attacks that have left vital Red Sea shipping lanes vulnerable. China, however, has contributed little to these international efforts. Tensions have risen amid calls for China to join the international effort, prompting discussions on the nation’s role in safeguarding maritime security in the Red Sea.
How can China and the United States work together or separately to help restore stability and security in the crucial Red Sea region, and what is holding back cooperation? In a discussion moderated by Dawn Murphy on March 18, 2024, Isaac Kardon and Sun Yun analyze the shipping lane crisis and China’s role in Red Sea security.
About the speakers
Follow Dawn Murphy on X: @DawnMurphyChina
Follow Isaac Kardon on X: @IBKardon
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
China’s economy is infused into every aspect of the U.S.-China relationship. With tighter U.S. export controls on chips, new technology developments in China, a slowdown in consumer activity, rising electric vehicle competition, and prickly government relations, the Chinese and American economies were inextricably linked in 2023. What will happen in 2024 as the U.S. presidential election brings more uncertainty to U.S.-China relations? Understanding where China’s macroeconomic trends are heading – and how they may affect American consumers – is crucial to managing other areas of the bilateral relationship.
Economists are split on whether the Chinese economy is stable or on the edge of a debt crisis. In this program on March 14, 2024, National Committee President Stephen Orlins joins Amy Celico and Barry Naughton to help make sense of different economic and policy projections for China’s economy in 2024 (and beyond).
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chinas-economy-2024/
Follow Amy Celico on X: @AmyCelico
Follow Barry Naughton on X: @bnaughton
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The annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known as the “Two Sessions” (“Lianghui”), feature the gathering of political leaders in Beijing each spring to announce plans and goals for the coming year. In 2024, faced with concerns over stalling economic growth, increased tension in the South China Sea, and elections in Taiwan and the United States, the Two Sessions has been in the spotlight for both international and domestic audiences. What are the key implications of the 2024 Two Sessions for the state and trajectory of U.S.-China relations?
In an interview conducted on March 14, 2024, Jessica Teets and Jack Zhang discuss the implications of the 2024 Two Sessions for China’s economy, politics, and foreign policy with Mary Gallagher.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/2024-two-sessions/
Follow Mary Gallagher on X: @MaryGao
Follow Jack Zhang on X: @HanFeiTzu
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Second Thomas Shoal, a feature in the South China Sea, is highly contested: both China and the Philippines claim sovereignty over this area and have confronted each other repeatedly around the shoal, stirring tensions that have escalated into a military confrontation between the two countries. The Chinese Embassy in Manila announced that the Chinese Coast Guard would continue law enforcement activities around the Second Thomas Shoal and condemned the Philippines’ presence in the region; the government of the Philippines insists that it has sovereignty. Both sides state that the other is violating international law.
China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea have long been a point of contention for some Southeast Asian countries, the United States, and others. Conflict management in the Second Thomas Shoal has lasting implications for China's neighbors.
On March 8, 2024, Jennifer Staats discusses rising tension in Second Thomas Shoal and China-Philippine relations with Jay Batongbacal and Frances Wang.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/south-china-sea-second-thomas-shoal/
Follow Jay Batongbacal on X: @JayBatongbacal
Follow Frances Wang on X: @YapingW
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.
Serbia-China relations are woven together by free trade agreements and national security. What do Serbians think of the U.S.-China relationship? How does the country navigate a path between the world’s two greatest superpowers? Stefan Vladisavljev joins the National Committee on September 21, 2023 to help us understand what Serbia wants and its attitudes towards China and the United States.
About the speaker
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Follow Stefan Vladisavljev on X: @vladisavljev_s
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Part 1
In 1997, Marketus Presswood was the only Black student in his language program in Beijing, China. His experience navigating race, culture, and identity between China and the U.S. shaped his current research into socio-cultural interactions between Africa, the African Diaspora and China in the twentieth century. Studying abroad in China is not just crucial for American national security, but an important way for young Americans and Chinese to see they have more in common than not.
Part 2
In the early twentieth century, Black and African American musicians brought jazz to China via the ballrooms and music halls of Shanghai. Musical connections between Chinese and Americans flourished through personal interactions and left an indelible imprint on the global state of jazz and China’s own music history.
In an interview recorded January 25, 2024, Spelman College Assistant Professor Marketus Presswood discusses the history of people-to-people relations between Chinese and American musicians, and the necessity of study abroad equity for underrepresented groups of young Americans.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/china-black-history-month/
Follow Marketus Presswood on X: @Marketusp
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.
In the time since Kenya and China normalized relations in 1963, China has become Kenya’s largest trading partner in addition to large economic involvement, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the establishment of Chinese businesses in Kenya. What does Kenya need to consider when navigating its separate relationships with the United States and China? Professor Elijah Munyi joined the National Committee on August 18, 2023 to help us understand Kenya’s diplomatic balance between China and the United States.
About the speaker
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NCUSCR staffers Elisabeth Fisher and Bailey Johnson discuss their experiences studying in China, how they balanced exploring a new culture and developing their own identities, and the importance of Black History Month through the study abroad experience.
Find their bios here: https://www.ncuscr.org/staff/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.
As a NATO member and bordering country of the Russia-Ukraine war, Poland juggles the complex yet necessary social, political, and security factors. How does China impact Poland’s goals, and how will the United States respond to Chinese involvement in the region? On September 13, 2023, Alijca Bachulska joined the National Committee and dove into the concerns and desires of Poland.
About the speaker
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Follow Alijca Bachulska on X: @a_bachulska
Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at communications@ncuscr.org
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Meg Rithmire’s book, Precarious Ties: Business and the State in Authoritarian Asia, compares state-business relations in China, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It explains why initial partnerships for growth between political and business elites disintegrated into corruption and financial instability in all three countries, and why some patterns of corruption and cronyism are more destructive for economic and political stability than others. She argues that China is similar to Indonesia in many ways, with endemic distrust between business and political elites creating a form of “mutual endangerment.” In both countries, fraud, asset expatriation, and cronyism reflect mutual enmeshment in illegal dealings to guarantee safety. In recent years, the CCP has pursued discipline of the private sector that seems to borrow from Malaysia, especially the party-state in corporate governance roles.
In an interview conducted on January 18, 2024, Meg Rithmire, in conversation with Yeling Tan, focuses on the relationship between business and the state in China.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/business-state-authoritarian-asia/
Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/business-state-authoritarian-asia/
Follow Meg Rithmire on X: @MegRithmire
Follow Yeling Tan on X: @YelingT
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According to a Chicago Council survey conducted in September 2023, Americans are more concerned about China’s rise now than at any point since the end of the Cold War. A record level of Americans consider China’s transformation into a global power to be a threat to U.S. interests, and are more likely to say that the U.S. government’s efforts to counter China’s rise have been insufficient.
Although those surveyed are confident in U.S. military power compared to China’s military power, Americans are divided on which country is stronger economically. From human rights to intellectual property rights, Americans are more likely to say that the U.S. government’s response to China has not gone far enough than to say it has been about right.
In an interview recorded on January 19, 2024 with Kate Kaup, Craig Kafura discusses the findings of the Chicago Council’s survey on U.S. attitudes towards China.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chicago-council-china-threat/
Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/chicago-council-china-threat/
Follow Craig Kafura on X: @ckafura
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.
The South Asian state of Nepal, wedged between China and India, balances and leverages its strategic interests and responsibilities between its much larger neighbors. Where does Nepal stand on the U.S.-China relationship? Professor Gaurav Bhattarai (Tribhuvan University) joined the National Committee on July 31, 2023, to investigate the triangular relationship between the United States, China, and Nepal.
About the speaker
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Follow Gaurav Bhattarai on X: @Gauravbhattarai
Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at communications@ncuscr.org
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.
Italian domestic politics and role in global developmental projects changed drastically in 2023. What will Italian infrastructure and economy look like after Italy leaves the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)? Professor Matteo Dian joined the National Committee on August 29, 2023 to discuss how the Italian public and government understands itself in relation to the U.S.-China relationship.
About the speaker
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Follow Matteo Dian on X: @matteo_dian
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Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Nearly 20 million voters in Taiwan went to the polls over the weekend to elect a new president. The a results will have outsize importance to Taiwan’s future, its relations with the United States and China, as well as U.S.- China relations more broadly. With the votes now counted, the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will retain the presidency as William Lai Ching-te looks to build on the work of his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen.
As the world closely monitors the Taiwan Strait to discern the implications of these election results, it is crucial to gain insights directly from Taiwan to understand the issues that influenced the outcome and anticipate what comes next within the Taiwan-China-United States triangle. In an interview conducted on January 14, 2024 in Taipei, Margaret Lewis delves into the details of Taiwan’s 2024 election results with Yu-Jie Chen and Brian Hioe.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/taiwan-election-results/
Read the transcript here
Follow Yu-Jie Chen on X: @yujiechentw
Follow Brian Hioe on X: @brianhioe
Follow Margaret Lewis on X: @MargaretKLewis
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions impacted by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.
The countries of Southeast Asia represent a large diversity of diplomatic stances, tactics, and goals on the global political stage. What can the United States and China do to further the interests of Southeast Asian nations? From the South China Seas to trade and climate, China and the United States must take into consideration Southeast Asia’s regional interests. Selina Ho joined the National Committee on April 1, 2023, to discuss Southeast Asia’s social and political dynamics within the great context of the U.S.-China relationship.
Follow Selina Ho on X: @selinalcho
Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at communications@ncuscr.org
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Apparently, the U.S.-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. Why, and for whom?
Introducing our new segment on The US-China Podcast, U.S.-China & the World! Experts from around the world tell us about how the U.S.-China relationship impacts their countries on matters including, but not limited to, climate change, healthcare, economics, and security. You’ll hear experts from regions such as Southeast Asia, South America, the Pacific Islands, and more.
Follow along as the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations takes you around the world to answer the question, “How can the United States and China work together to make the world a better place?”
Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at communications@ncuscr.org
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The United States and China are at a crossroads today. Will the two nations be enemies, or will they continue to engage with each other? Mary Brown Bullock, who first visited China nearly 50 years ago, explores this question in her latest book, China on My Mind. Her memoir describes being a missionary child in Asia, studying China from afar, leading the first exchanges of students, being a college president, and establishing an American university in China. Dr. Bullock, an optimist and long-term participant, concludes with today’s uncertainty as many institutions including Duke University, Ford Foundation, China Medical Board, United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, and others face a new era of relations with China.
In an interview conducted on December 21, 2023, Mary Brown Bullock discusses the past, present, future of U.S-China relations through the lenses of a trained historian, an academic administrator, and a frequent visitor.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/china-on-my-mind/
Read the transcript here: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/china-on-my-mind/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
In the summer of 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched a lunar-exploration mission, making India the fourth country to land on the moon. Now that India has joined China and the United States in the ranks of major space-faring countries, there is huge potential for outer space cooperation between the three nations. How will the United States, China, and India work together on shared challenges, such as space debris and traffic management? Significant obstacles to healthy cooperation remain because of geopolitical tensions here on planet Earth.
In an interview filmed on November 3, 2023, Namrata Goswami joins the National Committee to discuss the future of U.S.-China-India space cooperation and competition.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/india-china-united-states-space/
Follow Namrata Goswami on X: @namygoswami
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Shellen Wu’s new book, Birth of the Geopolitical Age: Global Frontiers and the Making of Modern China traces the global history of the frontier in the twentieth century, particularly in China. The global history approach offers a new perspective on the continuities and evolution of the construction of Chinese territoriality from the late nineteenth century through to the People’s Republic of China after 1949. She weaves a narrative that moves through time and space, the lives of individuals, and empires’ rise, fall and rebirth, to show how the reshaping of Chinese geopolitical ambitions in the twentieth century, and the global transformation of frontiers, continues to reorder global power dynamics in East Asia and beyond to this day.
In an interview conducted on November 9, 2023, Shellen Wu, in conversation with James Carter, discusses how China, despite political turmoil and war, navigated the twentieth century with its imperial territory basically intact.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/Global-Frontiers-modern-China/
Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/Global-Frontiers-modern-China/
Follow James Carter on Twitter: @jayjamescarter
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The candidates for Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election, set for January 13, 2024, were finally announced on Friday, November 24 after a dramatic failure of opposition parties to form a coalition against Taiwan’s ruling party. One factor setting this election apart from those previous is the exceptional popularity of a third-party candidate, Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party, which signals a shift in voters’ attitude toward the political system traditionally dominated by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the Kuomintang. But even as many voters look for politicians to address issues like the increasing cost of living, unaffordable housing, and low salaries, debate over the cross-strait relationship continues to underpin the political climate leading up to the elections.
In an interview filmed on November 29, 2023, Dr. Wei-Ting Yen, joins us to discuss what voters in Taiwan have top of mind and what lessons the January elections carry for the United States and beyond.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/taiwan-elections/
Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/taiwan-elections/
Follow Dr. Wei-Ting Yen on Twitter: @poscwty
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The Beijing Xiangshan Forum, a high-level security and defense gathering, was convened from October 29 to 31 for the first time since 2019, with the theme, “Common Security, Lasting Peace.” Delegates from over 40 countries, including the United States and Russia, attended. What took place? What is the U.S. attitude toward the forum? What is the mood after the long gap in mil-to-mil communication since former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 2022 Taiwan visit? What were the achievements of the forum; will it lead to a thaw between the two militaries? In a conversation moderated by Jennifer Staats on November 16, 2023, Chad Sbragia and Fiona Cunningham, who both attended the 2023 Xiangshan Forum, offer insiders’ views on the proceedings of China’s top annual security forum and discuss its significance.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/beijing-xiangshan-forum/
Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/beijing-xiangshan-forum/
2:17 Introduction to the Xiangshan forum and U.S. involvement
12:05 Xiangshan forum in current Chinese politics
16:53 U.S.-China security relationship global impact
23:43 What is Russia's role in global seucrity?
32:22 Forum overview: what is the future of China's security and defense?
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U.S. President Joseph Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco on November 15, 2023. After what Biden referred to as “some of the most constructive and productive discussions we’ve had,” the two leaders separately announced progress on key issues including combatting the global drug trade, resuming military-to-military communication, importance of people-to-people dialogue, and the need to address AI risks. But flashpoint issues, such as wars in Europe and the Middle East, human rights, and cross-Taiwan Strait tensions remain unresolved.
Following the summit, how will U.S.-China relations evolve over the coming months? In an interview filmed on November 17, 2023, analyst and linguist Titilayo Ogundele joins the National Committee to discuss the impact of Xi’s visit and what we can expect to happen in the bilateral relationship.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/biden-and-xi-accomplish-apec/
Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/biden-and-xi-accomplish-apec/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Last night the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and The US-China Business Council co-hosted People's Republic of China President Xi Jinping following the long-anticipated meeting between Presidents Biden and Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco.
On November 15, 2023, President Xi addressed the American public following remarks made by President of the US-China Business Council Craig Allen, U.S. secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and National Committee Chair Evan Greenberg.
Watch the livestream here: https://www.ncuscr.org/livestream/
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What can senior leaders do to ease tensions between the United States and China? U.S. President Joseph Biden and PRC President Xi Jinping are set to meet this week at the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit. It would be the first time President Xi Jinping has visited the United States since 2017, when he met with former U.S. President Donald Trump. Why is his visit so important right now? Professor of Political Science Jack Zhang joins the National Committee on November 9, 2023 to discuss the shared goals between the two leaders, predict the main takeaways from the APEC summit, and help us understand the summit in the greater context of U.S.-China relations.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/biden-xi-apec-2023/
Follow Jack Zhang on Twitter: @HanFeiTzu
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We are re-running an episode recorded in 2022 with Harvard University professor Yuhua Wang on Xi Jinping’s power and influence leading up to the meeting between Presidents Joseph Biden and Xi Jinping at the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit this week.
Listen to the original recording and read the transcript.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/how-powerful-is-xi-jinping/
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Dr. Ma Ying-jeou, former president of the Republic of China (Taiwan), has been studying the dynamic across the Strait for over 30 years. In 2015, Dr. Ma met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Singapore, the first face-to-face meeting between leaders from both sides of the Taiwan Strait since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. In an interview recorded on October 18, 2023, Dr. Ma shares insights and recommends solutions based on his personal experiences to the current sharp tensions in U.S.-China and cross-strait relations.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/ma-ying-jeou/
Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/ma-ying-jeou/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations held our annual black-tie Gala Dinner on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at The Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York.
NBA All Stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady dive into their friendship, highlighting the importance of sports diplomacy and people-to-people exchange in the U.S.-China relationship. The two former Houston Rockets honor each other’s careers, experiences in the United States and China, and the impact of U.S.-China relations on the game.
More about the 2023 Gala: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/2023-gala-dinner
Watch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltv109I8JXQ
Follow Yao Ming on Twitter: @YaoMing
Follow Tracy McGrady on Twitter: @tmac_213
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Current U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns was the featured speaker for CHINA Town Hall 2023, a national conversation on how the U.S.-China relationship affects our communities. The nationwide virtual conversation, including live Q&A, took place on Wednesday, October 11, at 7:00 p.m. ET.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/cth-2023-nicholas-burns/
Read the transcript here: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/cth-2023-nicholas-burns/
Follow Ambassador Nicholas Burns on Twitter: @USAmbchina
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China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) turned 10 this year, and BRICS, the global economic organization made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has recently expanded. How will these two global endeavors impact the United States and global economic order?
In an interview recorded on September 26, 2023, Ammar A. Malik, senior research scientist at AidData, joins the National Committee to discuss BRI and China involvement with BRICS+.
REGISTER FOR CHINA TOWN HALL: https://www.tfaforms.com/5079195
Watch live: https://www.ncuscr.org/livestream/
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/brics/
Read the transcript here: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/brics/
Follow Ammar Malik on Twitter: @MalikAmmar
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Anxiety about China’s growing military capabilities to threaten Taiwan has induced alarm in Washington about whether the United States is capable of deterring attempts to seize Taiwan by force. This alarm feeds American impulses to alter longstanding policy, and to view challenges confronting Taiwan through a military lens. While Taiwan clearly is under growing military threat, it also is facing an intensifying Chinese political campaign to wear down the will of the Taiwan people. Ryan Hass, Richard Bush, and Bonnie Glaser argue in U.S.-Taiwan Relations: Will China’s Challenge Lead to a Crisis? that discussions of the future of Taiwan should focus on the island’s 23 million people.
In an interview conducted on September 14, 2023, Richard Bush and Bonnie Glaser contend that conflict in the Taiwan Strait is not inevitable, and that it would be foolish for the United States to conclude that it is unavoidable.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/u-s-taiwan-relations/
Read the transcript here: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/u-s-taiwan-relations/
Follow Bonnie Glaser on Twitter: @BonnieGlaser
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Selling to China: Stories of Success, Failure, and Constant Change, edited by Ker Gibbs, former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai during the U.S.-China trade war, is a sobering look at the realities of the intermeshed nature of the Chinese and American economies at a time of increasing political tension. Foreign companies are caught in the middle between compliance with U.S. laws and policies versus doing what is required for support and success in China and access to the world’s largest growth market. Opportunities still exist, but this is a dangerous and complicated time.
In an interview conducted on August 31, 2023, Ker Gibbs discusses the challenges and opportunities of doing business in China at a time of tension and distrust in the bilateral relationship.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/selling-to-china/
Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/selling-to-china/
Follow Ker Gibbs on Twitter: @KerGibbs
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There are only an estimated 400 American students studying in China. This statistic indicates a sobering new reality for U.S.-China relations—one of decreasing interaction between young Americans and Chinese, and in turn increasing misinformation about China in the U.S. What role can educational institutions play in fostering healthier U.S.-China relations?
Joanna Waley-Cohen, provost of NYU Shanghai, joins us from Shanghai to discuss how a personal understanding of Chinese society and culture can impact students, and the continued necessity of educational ventures such as NYU Shanghai to improved U.S.-China relations.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/personal-experience-in-china/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
We are excited to announce the new name for this show: The US-China Podcast. The show will no longer be called NCUSCR Interviews, and we hope the new name makes it easier for you to find the same content we have always been producing and reach wider audiences seeking information on all things U.S.-China relations. Since 1966, the National Committee has been a leader in U.S.-China bilateral engagement and dialogue. We hope you enjoy The US-China Podcast!
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China is deepening its ties with Latin American countries through free trade agreements and investments in Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects. At the same time, China’s recent plans to build an intelligence outpost in Cuba has alarmed the United States, but other Latin American neighbors do not necessarily share this sentiment. What is the historical relationship between China and Cuba? What are China’s strategic interests and involvement in Cuba and Latin America, and should the United States view them as national security concerns?
In a conversation moderated by Margaret Myers on August 23, 2023, Adrian Hearn and Leland Lazarus discuss China’s growing influence in Cuba and its implications for the United States and Latin America.
About the speakers
Read the transcript
Follow Leland Lazarus on Twitter: @LelandLazarus
Follow Margaret Myers on Twitter: @MyersMargaret
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the population of foreigners and international students in China has decreased dramatically. How has the drop in international students impacted education in China? Jeremiah Jenne visits the United States from Beijing for the first time since before Beijing’s COVID lockdowns and discusses the importance of people-to-people exchange in 2023.
About the speaker
Follow Jeremiah Jenne on Twitter: @JeremiahJenne
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Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just for apps and algorithms. AI’s ability to sort through massive data sets has the potential to completely revolutionize the field of biotechnology, opening the door for real-world breakthroughs like climate change-resistant seeds or cures for genetic diseases. While scientists and firms from the United States and China are actively collaborating to explore this scientific frontier, increasing national security concerns put AI-biotech’s future development at risk. What is at risk when scientific exchange is limited?
Abigail Coplin, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Science, Technology and Society at Vassar College, joins the National Committee to discuss American and Chinese views on the importance of biotech, and the impact of national security on this emerging field.
About the speaker
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has the potential to revolutionize the way the world works and communicates. AI also plays an outsized role in technological competition between the United States and China, in what some call the “AI race.” What is China’s current stage in the AI race as compared to the United States, and what challenges and risks lie ahead in adopting AI technology?
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/US-China-AI-Race/
Transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/us-china-ai-race/
Follow Jeffrey Ding on Twitter: @jjding99
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s June 2023 visit to China was a bid to normalize bilateral relations and re-establish regular channels of communication between the U.S. and China. Southeast Asian countries—which share close ties to both superpowers—are paying particularly close attention to whether the visit signals a turn in U.S.-China relations.
Dr. Kanti Bajpai, vice dean and professor of international relations at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy based at the National University of Singapore, joins the National Committee to provide a Southeast Asian perspective on what Singapore and the broader region are expecting from the U.S.-China relationship moving forward.
1:29-5:08 Southeast Asian reactions to Secretary Blinken’s visit to China and U.S.-China relations
5:08-10:15 What does Singapore hope for U.S.-China cooperation?
10:15-21:49 U.S.-China-India relations: partners, competitors, or strategic threats?
21:49-31:42 How much is concern about China driving the United States to strengthen its relationship with India?
31:42- The future of India-Chinese conflict and Indian opinions towards the U.S.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/singapore-blinken-china-visit/
https://www.ncuscr.org/video/modi-visit-us-china-india/
Read transcript here: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/us-china-india-triangle/
Follow Dr. Kanti Bajpai on Twitter: @BajpaiKanti
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Canada’s role in the context of U.S.-China strategic competition is significant, given its historical relationships with both countries. While Canada normalized relations with China in 1970 and sought to strengthen the Canada-China relationship over the decades, its recent Indo-Pacific Strategy takes a much firmer stance than seen in the past, referring to China as a “disruptive power” that disregards international rules; nevertheless, Canada also recognizes that China will have to play an essential role in solving global challenges.
When it comes to relations with and approaches to China, where do American and Canadian strategic interests and priorities overlap? Where do the United States and Canada see things differently? What are the main factors driving these dynamics?
In an interview conducted June 22, 2023, Diana Fu, Gordon Houlden, and Pascale Massot discuss Canada-China relations and areas where the U.S. and Canadian Indo-Pacific Strategies converge and diverge.
About the speakers
0:00-5:51 U.S.-Canadian policy comparison
5:51-14:27 Canada's reaction to Beijing
14:27- 24:50 China-Canada cooperation
Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy: https://www.international.gc.ca/transparency-transparence/assets/pdfs/indo-pacific-indo-pacifique/indo-pacific-indo-pacifique-en.pdf
Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy: New initiatives and resources: https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2022/11/canadas-indo-pacific-strategy-new-initiatives-and-resources.html
Follow Diana Fu on Twitter: @dianafutweets
Follow Gordon Houlden on Twitter: @GordonHoulden
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
From June 18-19, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China for meetings with high level officials in a bid to stabilize U.S.-China relations and re-establish regular diplomatic communications. After a similar trip was postponed earlier in 2023 due to the unauthorized entry of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon into American airspace, all eyes will be on the U.S.-China diplomatic relationship.
Veteran diplomat Susan A. Thornton joins the National Committee to discuss why Secretary Blinken’s trip is so important at this moment and what a positive outcome of this meeting would look like for the United States, China, and the world.
About the speaker
Follow Susan Thornton on Twitter: @suea_thornton
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May was Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a chance to celebrate the history, diversity, and contributions of the over 25 million members of the AAPI community in the United States. But rising U.S.-China tensions have also come with consequences for the community, particularly Chinese Americans, who have reported increased discrimination and feelings of exclusion in the last few years.
To commemorate AAPI Heritage Month, the Committee invited two professors who have deep experience with the Chinese American community —Qin Gao of Columbia University and Yingyi Ma at Syracuse University— to share their research and what AAPI Month means to them.
0:00-8:57 Discussing the "State of Chinese Americans" Survey with Professor Qin Gao
8:57-17:12 Professor Yingyi Ma on Chinese students studying in the United States
About Qin Gao
About Yingyi Ma
Anti-Racism Resources
Follow Qin Gao on Twitter: @gaoqin505
Follow Yingyi Ma on Twitter: @yingyi_ma
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Admiral John C. Aquilino, 26th Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, was the keynote speaker at our Annual Members Program on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. His comments, conversation with National Committee President Stephen Orlins, and Q&A focused on Sino-American military policy in the context of the overall bilateral relationship.
0:00-3:57 Introduction
3:57-30:58 Admiral Aquilino’s remarks
30:58- 58:10 Aquilino discussion
58:10- Q&A
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/indopacom-aquilino/
Read the transcript: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/indopacom-aquilino/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in March 2023, a large majority of American adults (83 percent) continue to have negative views of China, and the share who have very unfavorable views (44 percent) has increased by four percentage points since last year. Around four-in-ten Americans also now describe China as an enemy of the United States, rather than as a competitor or a partner – up 13 points since last year.
Americans are broadly concerned about China’s role in the world. For example, 62 percent of Americans see the China-Russia partnership as a very serious problem for the United States, up five points since October.
In an interview conducted on May 3, 2023, Laura Silver discusses the findings of the March 2023 survey.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/pew-research-center-study-china/
Pew Research Center survey: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2023/04/12/americans-are-critical-of-chinas-global-role-as-well-as-its-relationship-with-russia/#:~:text=Around%20four%2Din%2Dten%20Americans,2023%2C%20Pew%20Research%20Center%20survey.
Read the transcript here: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/pew-research-center-study-china/
Follow Laura Silver on Twitter: @lauraruthsilver Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Conflicts over specific rules lie at the heart of China’s maritime disputes, which are about much more than sovereignty over islands and rocks in the South and East China Seas. Rather, the main contests concern the strategic maritime space associated with those islands. To consolidate control over these vital areas, China’s leaders have begun to implement “China’s law of the sea”: building domestic legal institutions, bureaucratic organizations, and a naval and maritime law enforcement apparatus to establish China’s preferred maritime rules on the water and in the diplomatic arena. In China’s Law of the Sea, Isaac B. Kardon examines China’s laws and policies and analyzes other claimants’ reactions to China’s practices, because other states must acquiesce for China’s preferences to become international rules.
In an interview conducted on April 28, 2023, Isaac Kardon discusses with Bonnie Glaser China’s legal and policy efforts to defend, exploit, administer, and patrol disputed waters.
0:00-1:00 introductions
1:00-7:50 China’s maritime evolution
7:50-17:45 South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait
17:45-24:09 Southeast Asian maritime order
24:09- How should the world respond?
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chinas-law-of-the-seas/
Read the transcript here: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/chinas-law-of-the-seas/
Follow Bonnie Glaser on Twitter: @BonnieGlaser
Follow Isaac Kardon on Twitter: @IBKardon Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) is on a mission to clean up severe air and water pollution in China. Ma Jun, founding director of IPE, discusses the innovation of the Blue Map app and IPE’s efforts to speed up climate actions domestically and abroad.
In an interview conducted on April 10, 2023, IPE founder Ma Jun discusses the latest developments in IPE’s work.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/united-states-china-clean-energy/
Learn more about IPE and China’s climate mitigation here
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Segment 1: China's nonprofit Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) was founded in 2006 to address severe air and water pollution in China and to help safeguard the global environment. It developed the Blue Map, China's first public environmental database and mobile app that tracks air, water, soil, and ocean quality data, as well as the performance of hundreds of thousands of major emitters. The information has been a potent aid for improving environmental governance across China. In 2020, IPE launched the Blue Map for Zero Carbon, and continues to use cooperation between companies, government, NGOs, research organizations and other stakeholders to achieve environmental transformation, promote environmental information disclosure and improve environmental governance mechanisms.
Segment 2: Energy Foundation China is a grantmaking charitable organization registered in California (formally separate from the U.S. Energy Foundation since 2019). It has been working in China since 1999, and is dedicated to China’s sustainable energy development. The Foundation’s vision is to achieve prosperity and a safe climate through sustainable energy. Its mission is to realize greenhouse gas emissions neutrality, world-class air quality, energy access, and green growth through transforming energy and optimizing economic structure. The Foundation works across seven fields: power, industry, transportation, cities, environmental management, low carbon economic growth, and strategic communications.
In an interview moderated by David Sandalow on April 10, 2023, Energy Foundation China President Zou Ji discusses the latest developments in the clean energy transition in China, the priorities of the Energy Foundation, and how the international community is doing in responding to climate change.
About the speakers: www.ncuscr.org/event/climate-action-ipe/ www.ncuscr.org/event/energy-foundation-china/
Read the podcast transcripts here: www.ncuscr.org/podcast/climate-action-ipe/ www.ncuscr.org/podcast/energy-foundation-china/
Follow David Sandalow on Twitter: @dsandalow
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Is China ahead of the United States in developing green technology? Amid the tensions of great power competition and climate change, what can the U.S. and China learn from each other when it comes to protecting the environment? In this special edition Earth Day podcast, we pulled the best content from our 2023 Earth Month interview series to answer the most urgent questions on the U.S.-China climate relationship with insights from American and Chinese experts.
Joining us for this episode are the following four experts on China and the climate crisis:
Angel Hsu, assistant professor of public policy and the environment at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Joanna Lewis, Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professor of Energy and Environment and director of the Science, Technology and International Affairs Program at Georgetown University
Zou Ji, president of the Energy Foundation China
Ma Jun, founding director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE)
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/earth-day-2023
Read the transcript for this podcast
Follow Angel Hsu on Twitter: @ecoangelhsu
Follow Joanna Lewis on Twitter: @JoannaILewis
Follow Ma Jun on Twitter: @MJ_GreenFinance
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
The unauthorized entry of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon into American airspace has provided a unique opportunity to examine the ability of Washington and Beijing to handle diplomatic crises. The incident leaves us wondering how the United States can better understand Chinese bureaucratic structure and decision-making and thus more effectively modulate its responses to unforeseen events. How will the two countries deescalate tensions when something more serious than a rogue balloon agitates the relationship? As the ability to interpret signaling accurately and maintain de-escalatory communication between the United States and China become more critical, so too will understanding the answers to these questions.
In an interview conducted by Oriana Skylar Mastro on April 13, Tyler Jost and Susan Thornton help contextualize the spy balloon incident within China’s bureaucratic decision-making.
0-1:26 Introductions
1:26- 5:38 Why was the balloon a big deal?
5:38-9:54 The (lack of) airspace regulations
9:54-18:24 The U.S. reaction
18:24-24:04 U.S.-China Crisis communication
24:04-26:54 Lightning round
26:54- Who owes who an apology?
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/spy-balloon-china/
Read the transcript for this podcast
Follow Susan Thornton on Twitter: @suea_thornton
Follow Tyler Jost on Twitter: @tcjost
Follow Oriana Skylar Mastro on Twitter: @osmastro
About the speakersSubscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Reporting on China is challenging and important. Assignment China tells the stories of some of the American journalists who have covered China from the time of the civil war of the 1940s through the COVID-19 pandemic. Former China correspondent Mike Chinoy assembles personal accounts from eminent journalists who share their stories of reporting on historic moments such as President Richard Nixon’s groundbreaking visit in 1972, China’s opening up to the outside world and its emergence as a global superpower, and the crackdowns in Tiananmen Square and Xinjiang. They describe the challenges of covering a complex society and offer insight into eight decades of tumultuous political, economic, and social change. In an interview conducted on March 22, 2023, Mike Chinoy and Lenora Chu discuss the people who have covered China for American media and how they have shaped American understanding of China.
0:00-3:30 background
3:30-10:11 truth vs. fiction
10:11-18:09 pre- and post- Mao era media relations
18:09-31:43 Journalism in the Deng era, Tiananmen Square
31:43- How have journalism and narratives changed?
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/american-correspondents-in-china/
Read the transcript for this podcast
Follow Mike Chinoy on Twitter: @mikechinoy
Follow Lenora Chu on Twitter: @LenoraChu
About the speakersSubscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
On March 5, 2023, China set a GDP growth target of around five percent for 2023, which is lower than expected. What are the major challenges and risks for China’s economic growth in 2023 and beyond? Where do the strengths in China’s economy lie? Both the promise of continued export and consumption growth and the threat of rising debt and property sector instability raise critical questions. How will tariffs, trade imbalances, and geopolitics affect China’s economic prospects?
In an interview conducted in partnership with Peking University’s National School of Development on March 14, 2023, Dr. Hu Yifan and Dr. Lu Feng provide their forecasts of China’s economy for the coming year.
0:00-2:10 introductions
2:10-10:10 Predictions for 2023
10:10-23:10 incentives, growth, and economic policy
23:10-31:53 China’s population demographics and economy
31:53-43:15 U.S.-China cooperation and trade
43:15-50:06 Bank failures, nervous markets
50:06- State of the RMB and USD
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/forecast-of-chinas-economy-for-2023/
Read the transcript for this podcast
About the speakersSubscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
What are the implications of this year’s Two Sessions for President Xi Jinping and the latest roster of Party leaders, for those in the United States with a close eye on the U.S.-China relationship, and for the Chinese people? In an interview conducted on March 20, 2023, Dimitar Gueorguiev speaks with Rory Truex, and Ling Li about the 2023 Two Sessions in the context of China’s domestic and international policies.
The annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known as the “Two Sessions” or “Lianghui,” feature the gathering of political leaders in Beijing each spring to announce plans and goals for the coming year. In 2023, after a period of dramatic changes including China’s new approach to COVID-19, an economic downturn, and the war in Ukraine, the significance for the world of political events in China is clearer than ever.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/two-sessions-many-implications/
Read the transcript of this conversation
Follow Ling Li on Twitter: @lingli_vienna
Follow Rory Truex on Twitter: @rorytruex
Follow Dimitar Gueorguiev on Twitter: @DimitarGueorg1
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Over the past few years, we have marked the 50th anniversaries of official visits to China by then National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and President Richard Nixon. Historians have scrutinized the records of their conversations with Chinese leaders, but less attention has been given to people-to-people exchange that began with “ping-pong diplomacy.” Based on archival sources in China and the United States and numerous interviews, Pete Millwood argues in Improbable Diplomats that the significance of cultural and scientific exchanges goes beyond reacquainting the Chinese and American people with each other after two decades of minimal contact; exchanges also influenced Sino-American diplomatic relations and helped transform post-Mao China.
In an interview conducted on March 9, 2023, Pete Millwood discusses with Alison Friedman how a diverse cast of Chinese and Americans – athletes and physicists, performing artists and seismologists – played a critical, but often overlooked, role in remaking U.S.-China relations.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/improbable-diplomats-us-china/
Read the transcript of this conversation
Follow Pete Millwood on Twitter: @PeteMillwood
Follow Alison Friedman on Twitter: @AlisonMFriedman
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
In Dictatorship and Information, Martin K. Dimitrov offers an approach to understanding possible solutions to the dictator’s dilemma (the balance between authoritarian governments’ use of information communication technology for economic development and the need to control the democratizing influences of this technology), which arises from the difficulty of calibrating repression and concessions due to distorted information about elite and popular discontent. Dr. Dimitrov argues that communist regimes are adept at developing sophisticated systems that mobilize the party, state security, and internal journalism to assess levels of dissent. Drawing from evidence across multiple communist regimes and numerous interviews, Professor Dimitrov contributes to our understanding of how autocrats learn – or don’t learn – about the societies they rule, and how they maintain or lose their hold on power.
In an interview conducted on March 7, 2023, Martin Dimitrov discusses information-gathering of communist regimes and how it extends authoritarian governments’ tenure with Kellee Tsai.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/dictatorship-information-china/
Read the transcript of this conversation
Follow Kellee Tsai on Twitter: @HongKongKellee
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Ever since a balloon flew from China over the United States in February, concerns about surveillance have been at the forefront of U.S.-China relations. But the two countries have a long history of spying on each other. In this short explainer, John Delury contextualizes the current tensions and assesses just how worried Americans should be about Chinese espionage.
If you missed it, listen to our interview from January with John Delury, Gina Tam, and Jerome Cohen on John's new book, Agents of Subversion: The Fate of John T. Downey and the CIA's Covert War in China.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/chinese-espionage/
Read the transcript of this conversation
Follow John Delury on Twitter: @JohnDelury
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
With Chinese President Xi Jinping’s political authority unmatched, his sense of mission to restore what he believes is China’s natural position as a great power drives the nation’s foreign policy. When China was weak, it was subordinated to others. Now China is strong, and wants others to fall in line, at least on the issues involving what it regards as core national interests.
In The Dragon Roars Back, Suisheng Zhao weaves together complex events, processes, and players in an analysis of Chinese foreign policy transitions since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Xi Jinping were and are transformational leaders who have charted unique courses of Chinese foreign policy in the quest for security, prosperity, and power.
In an interview conducted on February 15, 2023, Suisheng Zhao discusses the key leaders who have shaped Chinese foreign policy with Sheena Chestnut Greitens.
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/dragon-roars-back-chinese-foreign-policy/
Read the transcript to this conversation
Follow Suisheng Zhao on Twitter: @SuishengZhao
Follow Sheen Greitens on Twitter: @SheenaGreitens
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Since its advent in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, blockchain technology has taken the economic world by storm. Open-source blockchain transactions have increased the speed of, and trust in, cross-border financial transactions. Many in the United States see the technology as a new and improved medium to raise and exchange capital. In China, the technology, though much more tightly regulated, has likewise begun to proliferate and has even been identified as one of China’s seven “frontier technologies” in its 14th Five Year Plan (2021-2025). Blockchain has the potential to transform industries in both countries and globally. This pioneering system is at the forefront of U.S.-China technological competition, and both nations have the potential to use the technology to remake the global financial system.
In an interview conducted on February 9, 2023, Paul Triolo examines recent developments in China’s blockchain evolution, focusing on its role in the U.S.-China relationship.
0:00-4:08 Introduction, What is blockchain? 4:08-15:11China’s innovation and regulation 15:11-20:09 Can we regulate cryptocurrency? 20:09-26:18 U.S.-China blockchain regulation 26:18- the metaverse
About the speakers: www.ncuscr.org/event/blockchain-china-prc/
Read the transcript to this conversation
Follow Paul Triolo on Twitter: @pstAsiatech
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
In the year since Russia invaded Ukraine, U.S.-China relations have continued to deteriorate; one factor is Beijing’s continued support of Moscow’s position and rhetoric. What does Beijing gain from its tacit backing of Russia? How successful have the U.S.-led sanctions been at stemming Russia’s war effort? As China reopens its economy and looks to rebuild its international business and diplomatic relationships after three years of Covid lockdowns, how does its relationship with Russia affect China’s strategic, economic, and diplomatic goals?
Yun Sun discusses the dynamics among China, Russia, and the United States in an interview conducted on February 17, 2023.
0:00-0:45 introductions
0:45-10:07 What is China’s impact on the war? China-Russia trade and relations
10:07-13:28 Ukraine-Taiwan parallels
13:28-20:34 China in the middle
20:34- 23:42 The impact on U.S.-China relations
23:42- The future of China-Russia relations
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/eyes-on-ukraine-part-iii/
Read the transcript to this conversation
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Summer 2022 was hot! On June 25, the temperature in Hebei province reached 111.6°, breaking an all-time record. A few weeks later, the temperature in Shanghai hit 105.6°, the highest ever recorded there. On July 19, weather stations in the United Kingdom recorded temperatures above 104° for the first time in history; in the United States, at least 43 locations broke or tied their records for the hottest July ever. The temperature in western Iran reached 128.5° on August 9, the highest August temperature ever recorded in Asia. Increasingly severe and frequent storms, droughts, and floods lie ahead, and seas are rising. As the world’s leading emitter of heat-trapping gases by a wide margin, there is no solution to climate change without China.
In an interview conducted on February 3, 2023, Guide to China’s Climate Policy 2022 co-authors David Sandalow and Edmund Downie discuss China’s role in facing the global challenge presented by climate change with Angel Hsu.
0:00-1:14 Introductions
1:14-9:38 China’s climate background and efforts
9:38-20:24 China’s climate market
20:24-24:48 What will it take to lower coal consumption?
24:48- U.S.-China climate cooperation
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/guide-to-chinas-climate-policy-2022/
Read the transcript to this conversation
Follow David Sandalow on Twitter: @dsandalow
Follow Edmund Downie on Twitter: @ned_downie
Follow Angel Hsu on Twitter: @ecoangelhsu
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Agents of Subversion reconstructs the story of a botched mission into Manchuria, placing it in the context of a wider CIA campaign against China. In the winter of 1952, the CIA flew a covert mission into China to pick up an agent. One of the Americans on the mission, a recent Yale graduate named John T. Downey, ended up a prisoner in China for the next twenty years. The U.S. government kept the public in the dark about decades of covert activity directed against China while Downey languished in a Beijing prison and his mother lobbied desperately for his release. John Delury sheds new light on Mao’s campaigns to eliminate counterrevolutionaries and on his use of captive spies in diplomacy with the West.
In an interview conducted on January 25, 2023, John Delury and Jerome Cohen discuss Downey’s story and its implication for today with Gina Tam.
0:00-2:11 introductions
2:11-11:03 Who was John Downey?
11:03-15:44 Cold War framework
15:44-23:16 What did it have to take for Downey’s release?
23:16-29:10 CIA activity in China
29:10- U.S.-China cooperation
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/agents-of-subversion-john-t-downey/
Read the transcript to this conversation
Follow John Delury on Twitter: @JohnDelury
Follow Jerome Cohen on Twitter: @jeromeacohen
Follow Gina Tam on Twitter: @DGTam86
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
As tensions continue to rise between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, analysts and officials warn of a growing risk of military conflict, which could potentially draw in the United States. How worried should we be about a war in the Taiwan Strait?
Scott L. Kastner sheds new light on the prospects for cross-strait military conflict in his new book, War and Peace in the Taiwan Strait. He examines several key regional trends that have complex implications for stability, including deepening economic integration, the shifting balance of military power, uncertainty about the future of U.S. commitment, and domestic political changes in both the PRC and Taiwan. While the risks of conflict are real, they should not be exaggerated.
In an interview conducted by Jessica Chen Weiss on January 11, 2023, Scott Kastner argues that several distinct pathways could lead to the breakout of hostilities, yet war is not inevitable.
0:00-2:05 Introductions
2:05-7:45 Background on Taiwan
7:45-14:42 How can we avoid conflict while navigating U.S.-China relations?
14:42-20:08 The possibility of unification
20:08-25:00 What are Beijing’s challenges?
25:00-28:54 What is the future of Taiwan?
28:54-Avoiding tragedy
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/war-and-peace-taiwan-strait/
Find the transcript to this conversation here
Follow Jessica Chen Wiess on Twitter: @jessicacweiss
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
The growth of markets and consumerism in China’s post-Mao era of political and economic reform is familiar. The Mao period (1949–1976), by contrast, a time of scarcity, appears to have had little material culture. In reality, people attributed great meaning to materials and objects, often precisely because they were rare, expensive, and difficult to obtain. Material Contradictions in Mao’s China, essays on art, cinema, culture, performance, and more, explores the paradox of material culture under Chinese Communist Party rule and illustrates how central material culture was to social and economic construction of the country and to projections of a socialist utopia within reach of every person, if only they worked hard enough.
In an interview conducted on December 9, 2022, Material Contradictions co-editors Jennifer Altehenger and Denise Ho, in conversation with Philip Tinari, discuss the significance of physical objects during the Mao period.
0:00-2:22 Introductions
2:22-8:27 Material Contradictions Under Mao
8:27- 17:28 Objects, scarcity, and abundance
17:28-25:45 The political and the commodity
25:45- Agency in consumerism
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/material-culture-maos-china/
Follow Philip Tinati on Twitter: @philiptinari
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Stephen Roach’s new book, Accidental Conflict: America, China, and the Clash of False Narratives, examines the ominous trajectory of conflict escalation between the United States and China and offers suggestions for resolution. In just four years, two countries have entered a trade war, a tech war, and perhaps a new Cold War. This conflict between the world’s two most powerful nations would not have happened but for an unnecessary clash of false narratives. The United States falsely blames its trade and technology threats on China yet overlooks its shaky saving foundation. China falsely blames its growth challenges on America’s alleged containment of market-based socialism, ignoring its failed economic rebalancing.
In an interview conducted on December 19, 2022, Stephen Roach argues that much of the rhetoric on both sides is dangerously misguided, more a reflection of each nation’s fears and vulnerabilities than a reasonable assessment of the risks they face.
0:00-3:35 U.S.-China uncomfortable codependency
3:35-10:23 False narratives of technology and IP theft
10:23-17:36 Bipartisan rhetoric and economics
17:36-23:48 the trajectory of U.S.-China trade
23:48-26:15 Does China need the U.S.?
26:15-30:35 Economic competition
30:35-Conflict resolutions
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/us-china-false-narratives/
Follow Stephen Roach on Twitter: @SRoach_econ
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Former Ambassador to China, Russia, and Singapore Jon M. Huntsman Jr. was the featured speaker for CHINA Town Hall 2022, a national conversation on how the U.S.-China relationship affects our communities. From supply chains to national security, new technologies to climate change, the future of both countries will be determined by their relations with one another and the global community.
The National Committee held a nationwide virtual conversation on Wednesday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. EST, including Q&A, with a leading authority on foreign policy. As one of few Americans to personally know Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, Ambassador Huntsman discussed the ways America can cooperate and compete with China, as both countries confront the most critical issues of the 21st century.
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/cth-2022-jon-huntsman/
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
For much of 2022, the entire planet has been struggling to cope with extreme weather events, ranging from brutal heatwaves and severe droughts in some regions to record rainfall and catastrophic flooding in others.
Despite this, in early August, Beijing suspended ongoing U.S.-China talks on climate change in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. While some climate experts have argued that what matters most in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is for the United States and China to take action domestically, the suspension of talks represents a shift in the effort to shield the climate agenda from geopolitics and has implications for the ability of each country, and the world, to meet essential reduction targets.
In conversation with Alex Wang on November 1, 2022, Michael Davidson and Joanna Lewis discuss the significance of the downturn in U.S.-China relations on multilateral climate action.
2:22 How will U.S.-China tensions affect COP27?
6:24 How important is U.S.-China cooperation to global climate action?
9:18 Can the U.S. and China cooperate after COP27?
15:00 Will U.S.-China competition benefit or harm climate action efforts?
25:30 How can the U.S. support domestic climate action initiatives?
30:38 Why is energy security so important?
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/us-china-climate-action/
Follow Michael Davidson on Twitter: @east_winds
Follow Joanna Lewis on Twitter: @JoannaILewis
Follow Alex Wang on Twitter: @greenlawchina
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
In Trafficking Data, Aynne Kokas examines how technology firms in the two largest economies in the world, the United States and China, exploit government policy (and the lack thereof) to gather information on citizens, putting American national security at risk. She argues that U.S. government leadership failures, Silicon Valley’s disruption preoccupation, and Wall Street’s addiction to growth have fueled China’s technological gold rush. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in the two countries and numerous corporate and policy documents, Trafficking Data explains how China is fast becoming the global leader in internet governance and policy, and thus of the data that defines our public and private lives.
In an interview conducted on October 11, 2022, Aynne Kokas, in conversation with Silvia Lindtner, argues that American complacency provides Chinese firms the opportunity to gather data in the United States and send it back to China, and by extension, to the Chinese government.
0:00 Introductions
2:04 China’s technological advances and geopolitical power
9:08 United States and China as digitized nations
16:38 Population biometric data and Zero-COVID
20:38 Can data science map Chinese society during the COVID-19 pandemic?
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/trafficking-data-china/
Follow Aynne Kokas on Twitter: @AynneKokas
Follow Silvia Lindtner on Twitter: @yunnia
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
In Trafficking Data, Aynne Kokas examines how technology firms in the two largest economies in the world, the United States and China, exploit government policy (and the lack thereof) to gather information on citizens, putting American national security at risk. She argues that U.S. government leadership failures, Silicon Valley’s disruption preoccupation, and Wall Street’s addiction to growth have fueled China’s technological gold rush. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in the two countries and numerous corporate and policy documents, Trafficking Data explains how China is fast becoming the global leader in internet governance and policy, and thus of the data that defines our public and private lives.
In an interview conducted on October 11, 2022, Aynne Kokas, in conversation with Silvia Lindtner, argues that American complacency provides Chinese firms the opportunity to gather data in the United States and send it back to China, and by extension, to the Chinese government.
0:00 Introductions
2:04 China’s technological advances and geopolitical power
9:08 United States and China as digitized nations
16:38 Population biometric data and Zero-COVID
20:38 Can data science map Chinese society during the COVID-19 pandemic?
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/trafficking-data-china/
Follow Aynne Kokas on Twitter: @AynneKokas
Follow Silvia Lindtner on Twitter: @yunnia
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
In the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s high profile visit to Taiwan in August, public focus on the island has reached a crescendo as Chinese military maneuvers and government rhetoric continue to escalate. How has Taiwan dealt with the increased volatility? How has the war in Ukraine affected China’s decision-making going forward? Are Taiwan’s global economic ties and critical role in technology supply chains strong enough to help deter a wider conflict? Most importantly, what does it all mean for ordinary Taiwanese?
In a conversation moderated by Sara Newland on October 12, 2022, leading Taiwan experts Jessica Drun and Lev Nachman explore Taiwan’s complex dynamics and implications for the United States and the U.S.-China relationship.
2:07 How did Taiwanese respond to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit?
9:53 Is the war in Ukraine shifting behavior in Taiwan?
14:08 What's happening with the Taiwanese elections in 2022 and 2024?
18:23 What is the future of the KMT?
22:21 How has Taiwan capitalized on recent soft power wins?
26:38 What should people know about Taiwan?
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/taiwan-complex-hotspot/
Follow Jessica Drun on Twitter: @jessicadrun
Follow Lev Nachman on Twitter: @lnachman32
Follow Sara Newland on Twitter: @NewlandSara
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
In the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s high profile visit to Taiwan in August, public focus on the island has reached a crescendo as Chinese military maneuvers and government rhetoric continue to escalate. How has Taiwan dealt with the increased volatility? How has the war in Ukraine affected China’s decision-making going forward? Are Taiwan’s global economic ties and critical role in technology supply chains strong enough to help deter a wider conflict? Most importantly, what does it all mean for ordinary Taiwanese?
In a conversation moderated by Sara Newland on October 12, 2022, leading Taiwan experts Jessica Drun and Lev Nachman explore Taiwan’s complex dynamics and implications for the United States and the U.S.-China relationship.
2:07 How did Taiwanese respond to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit?
9:53 Is the war in Ukraine shifting behavior in Taiwan?
14:08 What's happening with the Taiwanese elections in 2022 and 2024?
18:23 What is the future of the KMT?
22:21 How has Taiwan capitalized on recent soft power wins?
26:38 What should people know about Taiwan?
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/taiwan-complex-hotspot/
Follow Jessica Drun on Twitter: @jessicadrun
Follow Lev Nachman on Twitter: @lnachman32
Follow Sara Newland on Twitter: @NewlandSara
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
For several decades after “reform and opening” began in 1978, China’s leaders adopted a restrained approach to foreign policy, assuring the world of its peaceful intentions. Then, as Susan Shirk argues in her latest book, Overreach: How China Derailed its Peaceful Rise, China went from fragile superpower to global heavyweight, threatening Taiwan and its neighbors in the South China Sea, tightening its grip on Hong Kong, and openly challenging the United States for preeminence economically, technologically, and militarily.
In an interview conducted on October 13, 2022, Susan Shirk urges the United States and other countries to respond to China’s overreach with restraint. Understanding the domestic roots of China’s actions will enable the world to avoid the mistakes that could lead to war.
0:00 Introduction
6:05 How is China responding to changes in society?
11:13 The relationship between Beijing, Taiwan, and overseas
18:17 Confucius Institutes as symbols
19:53 Xi Jinping, popularity, and Zero-COVID
26:20 U.S. position on China
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/china-rise-overreach/
Follow Susan Shirk on Twitter: @SusanShirk1
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
For several decades after “reform and opening” began in 1978, China’s leaders adopted a restrained approach to foreign policy, assuring the world of its peaceful intentions. Then, as Susan Shirk argues in her latest book, Overreach: How China Derailed its Peaceful Rise, China went from fragile superpower to global heavyweight, threatening Taiwan and its neighbors in the South China Sea, tightening its grip on Hong Kong, and openly challenging the United States for preeminence economically, technologically, and militarily.
In an interview conducted on October 13, 2022, Susan Shirk urges the United States and other countries to respond to China’s overreach with restraint. Understanding the domestic roots of China’s actions will enable the world to avoid the mistakes that could lead to war.
0:00 Introduction
6:05 How is China responding to changes in society?
11:13 The relationship between Beijing, Taiwan, and overseas
18:17 Confucius Institutes as symbols
19:53 Xi Jinping, popularity, and Zero-COVID
26:20 U.S. position on China
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/china-rise-overreach/
Follow Susan Shirk on Twitter: @SusanShirk1
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Semiconductors have become a critical policy issue around the world, making news because of their importance for everything from cellphones to nuclear weapons, as supply chain bottlenecks and political confrontations drive up scarcity and price. Global companies like TSMC and Huawei face difficult operating landscapes as they seek greater regulatory harmonization and clarity. What role do semiconductors play in the relationships among the United States, China, and Taiwan?
Technology policy expert Paul Triolo joined National Committee President Stephen Orlins for an interview conducted on September 30, 2022, to examine the complex geopolitical tensions surrounding the global semiconductor industry, its role in the U.S.-China relationship, and potential ways forward for the United States and China.
0:00 Introduction
1:43 Why are semiconductors important?
4:44 Will China's semiconductor industry succeed?
9:36 U.S. response and dependence on Taiwan
16:09 Is the CHIPS Act good policy?
20:24 Restrictions, competition, and supply chain
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/semiconductors-us-china-relations/
Follow Paul Triolo on Twitter: @pstAsiatech
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Semiconductors have become a critical policy issue around the world, making news because of their importance for everything from cellphones to nuclear weapons, as supply chain bottlenecks and political confrontations drive up scarcity and price. Global companies like TSMC and Huawei face difficult operating landscapes as they seek greater regulatory harmonization and clarity. What role do semiconductors play in the relationships among the United States, China, and Taiwan?
Technology policy expert Paul Triolo joined National Committee President Stephen Orlins for an interview conducted on September 30, 2022, to examine the complex geopolitical tensions surrounding the global semiconductor industry, its role in the U.S.-China relationship, and potential ways forward for the United States and China.
0:00 Introduction
1:43 Why are semiconductors important?
4:44 Will China's semiconductor industry succeed?
9:36 U.S. response and dependence on Taiwan
16:09 Is the CHIPS Act good policy?
20:24 Restrictions, competition, and supply chain
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/semiconductors-us-china-relations/
Follow Paul Triolo on Twitter: @pstAsiatech
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
For decades Americans have described China as a rising power. That description no longer fits: China has already risen. What does this mean for the U.S.-China relationship, for the global economy, and for international security? Covering security, economics, military development, climate change, public health, science and technology, education, and Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Xinjiang, the essays in The China Questions 2 look at key sites of friction and potential areas for collaboration.
In an interview conducted on September 21, 2022, China Questions 2 co-editors Maria Adele Carrai and Michael Szonyi argue that we are not facing Cold War 2.0, but rather a complex mix of conflict, competition, and cooperation that must be understood in the domestic realities of the United States and China, as well as the international context.
0:00-2:51 Introduction
2:51-10 Key questions and accessibility
10:00-15:13 Chinese constructive engagement
15:13-20:12 U.S. economic involvement and revisionist powers
20:13-24:07 Has constructive engagement failed?
24:07-36:11The China Questions 2
About the speakers:
https://www.ncuscr.org/event/china-questions-2/
Follow Maria Adele Carrai on Twitter: @adele_carrai
Follow Michael Szonyi on Twitter: @MichaelSzonyi
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
For decades Americans have described China as a rising power. That description no longer fits: China has already risen. What does this mean for the U.S.-China relationship, for the global economy, and for international security? Covering security, economics, military development, climate change, public health, science and technology, education, and Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Xinjiang, the essays in The China Questions 2 look at key sites of friction and potential areas for collaboration.
In an interview conducted on September 21, 2022, China Questions 2 co-editors Maria Adele Carrai and Michael Szonyi argue that we are not facing Cold War 2.0, but rather a complex mix of conflict, competition, and cooperation that must be understood in the domestic realities of the United States and China, as well as the international context.
0:00-2:51 Introduction
2:51-10 Key questions and accessibility
10:00-15:13 Chinese constructive engagement
15:13-20:12 U.S. economic involvement and revisionist powers
20:13-24:07 Has constructive engagement failed?
24:07-36:11The China Questions 2
About the speakers:
https://www.ncuscr.org/event/china-questions-2/
Follow Maria Adele Carrai on Twitter: @adele_carrai
Follow Michael Szonyi on Twitter: @MichaelSzonyi
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
How does restraint in Chinese statecraft challenge the standard narrative about rising powers’ behavior? Conventional wisdom holds that China’s rise is disrupting the global balance of power in unpredictable ways. However, China has often deferred to the consensus of smaller neighboring countries on regional security. In Power and Restraint in China’s Rise (Columbia University Press), Chin-Hao Huang argues that China’s aspirations for legitimacy and acceptance provide a rationale for refraining from coercive measures. His findings show why paying attention to the targets of Chinese power matters and what the future of engagement with China might look like.
In a conversation with Carl Minzner conducted on September 16, 2022, Chin-Hao Huang explains why China considers the views and interests of small states, and how collective action can induce change in its behavior.
0:00-2:51 Introduction
2:51-10 Key questions and accessibility
10:00-15:13 Chinese constructive engagement
15:13-20:12 U.S. economic involvement and revisionist powers
20:13-24:07 Has constructive engagement failed?
24:07-36:11The China Questions 2
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/power-and-restraint-chinas-rise/
Follow Carl Minzner on Twitter: @CarlMinzner
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
How does restraint in Chinese statecraft challenge the standard narrative about rising powers’ behavior? Conventional wisdom holds that China’s rise is disrupting the global balance of power in unpredictable ways. However, China has often deferred to the consensus of smaller neighboring countries on regional security. In Power and Restraint in China’s Rise (Columbia University Press), Chin-Hao Huang argues that China’s aspirations for legitimacy and acceptance provide a rationale for refraining from coercive measures. His findings show why paying attention to the targets of Chinese power matters and what the future of engagement with China might look like.
In a conversation with Carl Minzner conducted on September 16, 2022, Chin-Hao Huang explains why China considers the views and interests of small states, and how collective action can induce change in its behavior.
0:00-2:51 Introduction
2:51-10 Key questions and accessibility
10:00-15:13 Chinese constructive engagement
15:13-20:12 U.S. economic involvement and revisionist powers
20:13-24:07 Has constructive engagement failed?
24:07-36:11The China Questions 2
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/power-and-restraint-chinas-rise/
Follow Carl Minzner on Twitter: @CarlMinzner
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Following decades of growth and development, Chinese officials, businesses, and institutions now play a critical role in every major global issue. The challenges posed by climate change, pandemics, and emerging technologies make dealing with the Chinese state, its firms, and other institutions more complex and more critical than ever before. In China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China’s Rise and the World’s Future (Oxford University Press), Scott Moore argues that none of these increasingly pressing, shared global challenges can be tackled without China and, as a result, that the world must re-envision China’s rise and global role in in terms of sustainability and technology.
In conversation with Angel Hsu on September 15, 2022, Dr. Moore explores China’s part to play in tackling shared ecological and technological challenges.
1:51-6:14 Why now? U.S.-China scientific collaboration or rivalry?
6:14-10:30 Cooperation vs. competition
10:30-14:00 Climate and clean energy
14:00-20:22 Can we cooperate with China on climate policy?
20:22-24:45 Chinese innovation
24:45-31:04 How to reengage with Chinese counterparts
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chinas-next-act/
Follow Scott Moore on Twitter: @water_futures
Follow Angel Hsu on Twitter: @ecoangelhsu
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Following decades of growth and development, Chinese officials, businesses, and institutions now play a critical role in every major global issue. The challenges posed by climate change, pandemics, and emerging technologies make dealing with the Chinese state, its firms, and other institutions more complex and more critical than ever before. In China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China’s Rise and the World’s Future (Oxford University Press), Scott Moore argues that none of these increasingly pressing, shared global challenges can be tackled without China and, as a result, that the world must re-envision China’s rise and global role in in terms of sustainability and technology.
In conversation with Angel Hsu on September 15, 2022, Dr. Moore explores China’s part to play in tackling shared ecological and technological challenges.
1:51-6:14 Why now? U.S.-China scientific collaboration or rivalry?
6:14-10:30 Cooperation vs. competition
10:30-14:00 Climate and clean energy
14:00-20:22 Can we cooperate with China on climate policy?
20:22-24:45 Chinese innovation
24:45-31:04 How to reengage with Chinese counterparts
About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chinas-next-act/
Follow Scott Moore on Twitter: @water_futures
Follow Angel Hsu on Twitter: @ecoangelhsu
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
As China and the United States increasingly compete for power in key areas of U.S. influence, great power conflict looms. China’s Rise in the Global South examines China’s behavior as a rising power in two key global south regions: the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. Dawn Murphy compares and analyzes thirty years of China’s interactions with these regions in several areas: politics, economics, foreign aid, and military. From the Belt and Road Initiative to the founding of new cooperation forums and special envoys, Dr. Murphy’s book offers an in-depth look at China’s foreign policy approach to the countries it considers its partners in South-South cooperation.
In a conversation with Lina Benabdallah held on August 19, 2022, Dawn C. Murphy argues that China is constructing an alternative international order.
0:00- 3:33 Introduction
3:33-7:50 China’s Alternative World Order
7:50-17:45 China in the Middle East and Africa
17:45-25:45 Chinese-Global South mediation and diplomacy
25:45- 30:08 China studies during COVID
30:08- Economic slowdown
About the speakers: https://ncuscr.org/events/chinas-rise-global-south
Follow Lina Benabdallah on Twitter: @LBenabdallah
Follow Dawn Murphy on Twitter: @DawnMurphyChina
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the National Defense University, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
As China and the United States increasingly compete for power in key areas of U.S. influence, great power conflict looms. China’s Rise in the Global South examines China’s behavior as a rising power in two key global south regions: the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. Dawn Murphy compares and analyzes thirty years of China’s interactions with these regions in several areas: politics, economics, foreign aid, and military. From the Belt and Road Initiative to the founding of new cooperation forums and special envoys, Dr. Murphy’s book offers an in-depth look at China’s foreign policy approach to the countries it considers its partners in South-South cooperation.
In a conversation with Lina Benabdallah held on August 19, 2022, Dawn C. Murphy argues that China is constructing an alternative international order.
0:00- 3:33 Introduction
3:33-7:50 China’s Alternative World Order
7:50-17:45 China in the Middle East and Africa
17:45-25:45 Chinese-Global South mediation and diplomacy
25:45- 30:08 China studies during COVID
30:08- Economic slowdown
About the speakers: https://ncuscr.org/events/chinas-rise-global-south
Follow Lina Benabdallah on Twitter: @LBenabdallah
Follow Dawn Murphy on Twitter: @DawnMurphyChina
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the National Defense University, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Will China become the global leader in higher education in the 21st century? The modern research university was born in 19th century Germany; during the 20th, the United States took the lead. In his book Empires of Ideas, William C. Kirby argues that Chinese universities are among the most innovative educational centers in the world. Professor Kirby examines the successes of several leading universities in Germany and the United States, and compares them to three Chinese universities aspiring to become world-class institutions that can compete with the best that United States and Europe have to offer.
In an interview conducted on August 16, 2022, William C. Kirby examines the rise of the modern research university and liberal education, and the challenges facing higher education institutions in China, the United States, and Germany.
0:00 How did U.S. universities come to lead the world?
3:58 What makes a great university?
6:16 How did the German university model change higher education? 9:53: Why are Harvard, Berkeley, and Duke important to understand for the future of U.S. higher ed?
17:08 What can about Tsinghua, Nanjing University, and the University of Hong Kong tell us about Chinese higher ed?
26:00 Are there barriers to conducting research at Chinese universities?
29:03 Is the deteriorating U.S.-China relationship affecting higher ed in both countries?
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chinese-modern-universities/
Follow William C. Kirby on Twitter (@BillKirbyHBS)
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Will China become the global leader in higher education in the 21st century? The modern research university was born in 19th century Germany; during the 20th, the United States took the lead. In his book Empires of Ideas, William C. Kirby argues that Chinese universities are among the most innovative educational centers in the world. Professor Kirby examines the successes of several leading universities in Germany and the United States, and compares them to three Chinese universities aspiring to become world-class institutions that can compete with the best that United States and Europe have to offer.
In an interview conducted on August 16, 2022, William C. Kirby examines the rise of the modern research university and liberal education, and the challenges facing higher education institutions in China, the United States, and Germany.
0:00 How did U.S. universities come to lead the world?
3:58 What makes a great university?
6:16 How did the German university model change higher education? 9:53: Why are Harvard, Berkeley, and Duke important to understand for the future of U.S. higher ed?
17:08 What can about Tsinghua, Nanjing University, and the University of Hong Kong tell us about Chinese higher ed?
26:00 Are there barriers to conducting research at Chinese universities?
29:03 Is the deteriorating U.S.-China relationship affecting higher ed in both countries?
About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chinese-modern-universities/
Follow William C. Kirby on Twitter (@BillKirbyHBS)
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China’s engagement and influence in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have grown with the expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative into the region. Increased American attention suggests changes in a complex triangular relationship. What is China's ambition in the region? What would LAC countries stand to gain from more robust partnerships with China? Will they feel pressure to choose between China and the United States?
In a conversation moderated by Xiaoyu Pu on August 12, 2022, Álvaro Méndez and Margaret Myers discuss China’s growing involvement in LAC and its implications for the United States.
About the speakers: https://ncuscr.org/events/latin-america-china
Follow Xiaoyu Pu on Twitter: @pu_xiaoyu
Follow Margaret Myers on Twitter: @MyersMargaret
Follow Álvaro Méndez on Twitter: @alvaroimendez
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was first discussed ten years ago. What has happened over the past ten years? Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, BRI’s current state and future trajectories are more confusing and controversial than ever. Do China’s leading coalitions still support BRI? Min Ye discusses the current status and future directions of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in conversation with Ka Zeng.
0:00 Introduction
2:20 Who are the BRI actors?
7:48 Global and domestic impact
14:39 Transparency and corruption
20:30 U.S.-China competition
30:14 Economy
32:24 Cooperation
Follow Min Ye on Twitter: @beltbeyond
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Taiwan is a major flashpoint amid escalating tensions in U.S.-China relations. Ryan Hass, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, explains U.S. policy on Taiwan and China’s forceful reactions to perceived changes in the status quo.
About the speaker: https://ncuscr.org/events/daring-to-struggle
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Increasingly powerful, prosperous, and authoritarian, China under the leadership of Xi Jinping has become an increasingly intense competitor across the globe economically, technologically, diplomatically, militarily, and in seeking to influence people’s hearts and minds. But what does China ultimately want in the world?
In Daring to Struggle: China’s Global Ambitions Under Xi Jinping, Bates Gill explains the fundamental motivations driving the country’s dynamic, assertive, and risk-taking approach to the world under Xi Jinping. In an interview conducted on July 21, 2022, Bates Gill analyzes how the pursuit of six major goals – legitimacy, sovereignty, wealth, power, leadership, and ideas – shapes China’s foreign relationships in its Indo-Pacific neighborhood and beyond.
About the speaker: https://ncuscr.org/events/daring-to-struggle
Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).
Find the link to Michael Swaine's report here: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/threat-inflation-chinese-military/
According to a recent report by Michael D. Swaine, framing the military challenge Beijing poses in alarmist, worst-case ways weakens the U.S. ability to determine the limits of Chinese threats. It also undermines voices within China that favor moderation, raises the danger of Sino-American crises and military conflict, and diverts U.S. resources away from desperately needed nonmilitary uses at home and abroad.
The United States cannot build its way out of the deepening military competition with China, nor develop a successful long-term China strategy based on inflated threats. It must accept the logic of balance over dominance in many areas, fashion credible strategies designed both to deter and reassure Beijing in both the regional and global arenas, and strengthen its capacities at home.
Michael Swaine discusses more effective approaches than threat inflation to facing China’s increasingly powerful military in an interview conducted on July 8, 2022.
About the speaker: https://ncuscr.org/events/threat-inflation-chinese-military
What is Hong Kong? According to the British, a “barren rock” without meaningful history; to China, a part of Chinese soil from the beginning of time, finally returned to its rightful place in 1997. When protests erupted in 2019 and were met with escalating suppression, Louisa Lim, a journalist raised in Hong Kong who as an adult has covered the region for more than a decade, felt compelled to tell Hong Kong’s untold stories. In Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong, Dr. Lim combines history and memoir to explicate Hong Kong’s history, the present reality that Hong Kong is not “just another Chinese city,” and the future that may be unfolding.
In an interview conducted on June 27, 2022, Louisa Lim centers Hong Kongers as she discusses a diverse cast of characters including the memorable and mysterious King of Kowloon.
About the speakers: https://ncuscr.org/events/indelible-city-hong-kong
In China’s Economic Challenge: Unconventional Success, Albert Keidel examines the economic approaches responsible for China’s 40 years of rapid growth, suggesting how such strategies might be applied elsewhere. He discusses the government’s leadership role, success in poverty reduction, and international finance and trade experience. The book reviews why China’s success challenges the United States and the field of development economics. He describes how generous rural price and land-tenure reform in the 1980s caused a rural income boom that threatened urban subsidized livelihoods and underpinned consequent violence. China may face similar challenges moving forward, during the planned merger of the rural and urban work forces.
In an interview conducted on June 17, 2022, Albert Keidel analyzes the institutions and policies responsible for China’s successful development and possible future trajectory, examines the U.S.-China trade war, and considers the country’s economic prospects in light of COVID-19.
Less than a century ago, China faced myriad challenges in catching up to a world that had passed it by technologically. In her new book, Kingdom of Charactes, Jing Tsu breaks down how the monumental and transformative task of bringing the Chinese language into the modern era also modernized China itself. Jing Tsu joined the National Committee on June 1, 2022 to discuss the visionaries, reformers, and revolutionaries whose linguistic innovations made China’s ascent to its global role today possible.
China is under scrutiny as it attempts to quash its largest COVID-19 outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. The latest wave of infections is the most serious in the country since the disease first emerged in Wuhan two years ago and is putting the government under immense pressure as it sticks with its ‘dynamic zero-COVID strategy’. Shanghai has been in lockdown for over a month, causing serious disruption to its 25 million residents and the economy, with a potential lockdown in Beijing on the horizon.
Silvia Lindtner and Melinda Liu discuss China’s current COVID situation and explore the many secondary and tertiary effects that the Omicron wave in China is having around the world during an interview conducted on May 23, 2022.
According to a Pew Research Center report released in April, Americans view China's partnership with Russia as a serious problem for the United States, amid concerns over China's growing superpower status and economic might. More than 60 percent of American adults believe the Russia-China relationship is a very serious problem, more people than say the same about other critical issues, including China's involvement in American politics, its human rights policies, and tensions between China and Taiwan.
Pew Research Center senior researcher Laura Silver discussed the survey findings in an interview conducted on May 10, 2022.
President Biden will visit Seoul in May for his first meeting with newly-elected South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, as both countries face increasing mutual concerns, including North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missile launch since 2017 in March, followed by the April test of a new tactical guided weapon to boost nuclear capability. How will these events influence Korea-China-U.S. Relations? What are the effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine? What should we expect from President Biden's visit to Seoul? Sue Mi Terry discusses North Korea’s recent weapons tests, China’s response, and the implications for U.S.-China relations during an interview conducted on April 29, 2022.
A war between China and the United States would be catastrophic, but, unfortunately, is no longer unthinkable. In "The Avoidable War," Kevin Rudd demystifies the actions of both sides, describing how the countries can coexist without betraying their core interests.
According to Mr. Rudd, a former Australian prime minister who has studied, lived in, and worked with China for more than forty years, the relationship between the United States and China is especially volatile. It sits atop cultural misunderstanding, historical grievance, and ideological incompatibility. No other nations are so quick to offend and be offended; the capacity for either country to cross a critical line is growing rapidly.
Mr. Rudd discusses how the United States and China can find a way to co-exist without compromising their core interests through “managed strategic competition” in an interview conducted on April 25, 2022.
The United States and China, as the world’s two largest economies and carbon emitters, have an opportunity to accelerate financing for low-carbon technologies, particularly in developing countries. One promising mechanism for action is climate finance; nevertheless, experts estimate an annual shortfall of $850 billion in climate-related financing in developing markets, which need it most.
In an interview conducted on April 6, 2022, Kelly Sims Gallagher discusses the importance of U.S.-China cooperation in accelerating global climate finance.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Chinese government has tried to walk a fine line of neutrality. It has abstained on UN resolutions and not condemned the Russian invasion or the slaughter of civilians. On the other hand, it has restated its support of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the UN Charter. State owned media and social media have often repeated Russia’s propaganda to the great concern of the U.S. and European governments.
Xiaoyu Pu and Maria Repnikova discuss China’s international and domestic media coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the system behind this coverage, and its implications for U.S.-China relations during an interview conducted on April 18, 2022.
On January 20, 2022, a federal court in Boston dismissed charges against Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineering professor Gang Chen, who had been accused of concealing his affiliations with Chinese government institutions. The dropping of all charges against Dr. Chen was a major setback for the China Initiative, a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) program meant to combat economic espionage and intellectual property theft conducted by the Chinese government. Some argue that the DOJ’s efforts to counter Chinese national security threats led to racial profiling and created a climate of fear among academics and researchers of Chinese descent in the United States. On February 23, 2022, the DOJ announced that it had terminated the China Initiative.
In an interview conducted on April 13, 2022, Professor Gang Chen talks about his case and his reaction to the end of the China Initiative, what it means to him and the broader scientific community.
Gang Chen is the Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of power engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He served as the head of the MIT department of mechanical engineering from 2013 to 2018. His research interests center on nanoscale thermal transport and energy conversion phenomena and their applications in energy storage and conversion, thermal management, and water treatment and desalination. He has received numerous awards, including the National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award, an American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME) Heat Transfer Memorial Award, an ASME Frank Kreith Award in Energy, and a Nukiyama Memorial Award by the Japan Heat Transfer Society, among others. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Physical Society, the ASME, and the Guggenheim Foundation. He is an academician of Academia Sinica, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.
On April 12, 1972, the Chinese national ping pong team arrived in Detroit, the first unofficial visitors from the People’s Republic of China to the United States since the establishment of the PRC in 1949. One of the many excited people waiting on the tarmac to welcome the team was Jan Berris – at that time a program associate with the National Committee, now its vice president.
Fifty years later, on April 12, 2022, Jan Berris shared stories of the historic process – from the funny to the momentous – and reflected on the enduring legacy of Ping Pong Diplomacy on U.S.-China relations.
Jan Berris has been with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations since 1971 – beginning as program associate, moving on to program director, and vice president. She is responsible for overseeing all program activities of the Committee: this includes the preparation and execution of hundreds of Chinese delegations to the United States, American delegations to China, as well as NCUSCR’s Track II programs, and other flagship programs. Given her familiarity with the Chinese media at the time, the U.S. State Department asked her to coordinate Chinese press activities during Premier Deng Xiaoping’s February 1979 visit to the United States, and she has been the lead for the Committee’s hosting of major welcoming events for all of the most senior Chinese leaders.
Prior to joining the Committee, Ms. Berris was a foreign service officer, stationed in Hong Kong and Washington, D.C. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan.
"Americans in China: Encounters with the People's Republic" tells the stories of a diverse assortment of men and women who have engaged with China as adversaries and emissaries, mediators and advocates, interpreters and reporters, soldiers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and scholars. For each of them, China was more than just another place: it was an idea, a cause, a revolution, a civilization. Their experiences provide unique insights and deeply human perspectives on issues that have shaped U.S. engagement with the PRC during the past seven decades.
In an interview conducted on March 4, 2022, Terry Lautz discusses some of the figures in his book and what they suggest about American engagement in China in a conversation with Helena Kolenda of the Henry Luce Foundation.
The annual meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), colloquially known as the “Two Sessions” or “Lianghui,” feature the gathering of political leaders in Beijing each spring to announce plans and goals for the coming year. In 2022, amidst heightened global tensions, the continuing pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the 20th Party Congress coming in the fall, China’s domestic political events may hold even greater significance for the world than usual. What does the 2022 Two Sessions meeting suggest about China’s priorities in 2022 and beyond? Will the tightening in sectors including education, real estate, and investment initiated in 2021 continue?
In an interview conducted on March 11, 2022, Political economist and U.C. San Diego Professor Victor Shih shares insights and analyses of the Two Sessions and what this year’s meetings may indicate about China’s domestic and foreign policy going forward.
Since the February 24, 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, China’s position has come under scrutiny. Politically, for decades China has upheld the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty; Beijing has continued to talk about these ideals over the past few weeks while also blaming the west for creating the conditions – specifically, the eastern expansion of NATO after the fall of the Soviet Union – that led to Russia’s actions. Economically, China has sharply opposed sanctions, claiming that they are both illegal and counter-productive, while also announcing significant oil and wheat deals that might be interpreted as supporting Russia’s economy. Looming over all is the question of what parallels there might be between Russia and Ukraine and China and Taiwan.
Yun Sun discusses the rhetoric, actions, and relationships between and among Russia, China, and the United States since Russia invaded Ukraine in an interview conducted on March 7, 2022.
A populous superpower, China could transform the international system. Xi Jinping’s calls for China to “lead in the reform of the global governance system” suggest that he has precisely that ambition. The international community needs to understand and respond to the great risks, as well as potential rewards, of a world rebuilt by China.
In an interview conducted on February 28, 2022, Elizabeth Economy describes China’s strategy to recover the country’s past glory and reshape the geostrategic landscape. President Xi’s vision is one of Chinese centrality on the global stage, in which the mainland has realized its sovereignty claims over Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the South China Sea; deepened its global political, economic, and security reach through the Belt and Road Initiative; and used its leadership in the United Nations and other institutions to align international norms and values, particularly surrounding human rights, around its own.
Note: Dr. Economy spoke in her personal capacity; all views expressed are hers and do not reflect policy of the United States Government or the Department of Commerce.
Regardless of where they are held, nationalism and identity affect how the Olympic Games are portrayed and perceived.
In an interview conducted on February 22, 2022, New York Times correspondent Amy Qin and University of Hong Kong history professor Guoqi Xu discuss issues of national and individual identity at Beijing Games.
As global attention focuses on Russia's military buildup along its border with Ukraine, increasingly stronger ties between China and Russia raise concerns with the United States and its allies. At the Putin-Xi summit on the eve of the Winter Olympics, China explicitly backed Russia's security concerns over further NATO expansion in Eastern Europe, bringing this relationship to the geopolitical forefront. Although China-Russia cooperation has its limits, this strategic alignment could challenge U.S. political, ideological, and security interests and the U.S.-led global order.
Yun Sun discusses the current state of Sino-Russian relations and its potential impact on the U.S.-China relationship in an interview conducted on February 8, 2022.
Meg Rithmire (Harvard Business School) gives an updated summary of China's unique political and economic system, describing its changing relationship towards Chinese businesses, citizens, and even the United States.
In his recently updated book, The China Paradox: At the Front Line of Economic Transformation, Paul G. Clifford documents the twists and turns of China’s dramatic and surprising rise over the last four decades. New chapters explore tech giant Huawei and China’s frictions with the world fueled by perceptions that China’s technological progress threatens the global economic order. Is China under President Xi Jinping retreating from the economic reforms at the heart of China recent achievements?
In an interview conducted on December 22, 2021, Paul G. Clifford discusses the risks to China’s development and stability posed by the slowing of reform amid increased autocracy.
Not since China's detonation of its first atomic weapon in 1964 has the United States been so concerned with the country's nuclear capabilities. Recent satellite images suggest China is constructing 100 new ICBM silos, and the Pentagon estimates that China could possess well over 1,000 nuclear warheads by the end of the decade. In addition, the successful test of a cutting-edge, nuclear-capable hypersonic missile last month has rattled the U.S. security community.
Why is China rapidly bulking up its nuclear arsenal, and why now? What does this spell for an already fraught U.S.-China security relationship? And how should the United States respond in its efforts to maintain "strategic stability”?
On December 13, 2021, the National Committee interviewed M. Taylor Fravel and Tong Zhao to discuss these questions and more on China's expanding nuclear capabilities.
A new Brookings Institution report argues that the era of deepening ties between the United States and China ushered in by the 1972 Nixon visit to China is over, and suggests that frictions may be mitigated by a bipartisan approach to China that appeals to allies in Europe and Asia and tempers the reality of competition with cooperation on global public goods.
In an interview conducted on November 22, 2021, two of the report's co-authors Ryan Hass and Bruce Jones introduce the key findings of the report, “Rising to the Challenge: Navigating Competition, Avoiding Crisis, and Advancing US Interests in Relations with China,” and discuss how many Americans now view China as their country's most formidable challenger and potential adversary.
As President Biden’s first year in office coincides with the 50th anniversary of President Nixon’s announcement that he would visit the People’s Republic of China, it seemed like a good time for a group of experts to try to re-imagine U.S.- China relations. "From Trump to Biden and Beyond" is the result of their efforts. It provides insights into global issues that will define America and China now and in the future, including tech innovation, energy and climate cooperation, engagement with Latin America, cross-Strait relations and the Indo-Pacific, among others. It suggests ways for Washington to articulate a new set of values, objectives, and tactics to define the most important bilateral relationship in the world and address the challenges it presents.
In an interview conducted on November 12, 2021, Earl Carr and Carolyn Kissane discussed ways in which the Biden administration might deal with the challenges presented by the Sino-American relationship.
The Sixth Plenum of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee was held in Beijing November 8-11, laying the groundwork for a twice-a-decade party congress in 2022. The gathering of approximately 375 Central Committee members and alternates was expected to review the work of the CPC over the last 100 years and to set goals for the next 100 years. In recent decades, the party has devoted the final plenary session to discussions of party affairs, especially key appointments, ideology, and party-building.
In an interview conducted on November 12, 2021, Jude Blanchette and Diana Fu discuss the implications of what was and was not announced at the Sixth Plenum.
In the past, supply chains were primarily understood through a lens of economic efficiency and competitiveness. Today, the conversation has shifted to a prism of various new concepts such as resiliency, decoupling, reshoring, self-reliance, and mostly notably, national security.
In an interview conducted on August 12, 2021, moderated by Mark Dallas (Union College), Peter Cleveland (TSMC) and Brittany Masalosalo (3M) discuss global supply chains and how the United States and China can better work with one another and with business practitioners to ensure that markets are adequately secure and open.
On September 15, U.S. President Joe Biden, Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new trilateral security partnership described by PM Morrison as “a next-generation partnership built on a strong foundation of proven trust.”
What does the partnership, known as AUKUS, suggest for the three countries involved, for France and the rest of the European Union, and for China and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region?
In an interview conducted on October 12, 2021, Theresa Fallon and Richard McGregor analyze the significance of AUKUS in conversation with Jason Kelly.
Li Shuo discusses the importance of biodiversity loss as an issue of mutual concern in the bilateral relationship and highlighted specific areas where cooperation is essential to the future of the planet.
In September 2021, China formally submitted its application to join the large regional free trade agreement known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP, which currently has 11 member countries with 495 million people and a combined GDP of $13.5 trillion, originally started as the U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) before the United States withdrew from the deal in 2017 following bipartisan pushback.
In order for China to join the CPTPP, it would need approval by all 11 member countries. What is the likelihood that China’s application will be successful? Is China able to deliver on the high-level trade standards required by the CPTPP? Will the United States remain on the sidelines as China continues to deepen its economic integration in the Asia Pacific region and beyond?
In an interview conducted on October 6, 2021, Scott Kennedy discusses China’s request to join the CPTPP, the likelihood of approval, and the potential impact on the global trade landscape.
China’s massive real estate market has been shaken by recent news of property developer China Evergrande Group’s increasingly dire financial situation. What explains the company’s predicament, and how has the Chinese government responded? How did giant conglomerates such as Evergrande become so prominent in the Chinese economy? What is the significance of real estate for individual households and China’s economy as a whole, and what does the government handling of Evergrande reveal about the relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and big business?
In an interview conducted on October 5, 2021, Meg Rithmire analyzes the domestic and global economic and political implications of the troubles facing real estate giant China Evergrande Group in conversation with Keith Abell.
The results of China's 2020 census, released in May 2021, reveal that population growth over the past decade has been the lowest since the 1950s. China's government has now loosened some restrictions, allowing married couples to have as many as three children. This signals increasing concern by policy makers, and may suggest further measures in the near future as the wide-ranging repercussions of demographic changes reverberate across Chinese society.
In an interview conducted on September 14, 2021, Dr. Ye Liu and Professor Carl Minzner discuss the social implications of China’s accelerating demographic crisis, with specific attention to the varied reactions of women in China to recent policy shifts and comparisons of China's demographic challenges with those in other parts of East Asia.
In July, China’s State Council banned after-school tutoring. Companies that operate ed tech platforms or provide online education were forbidden from raising capital through IPOs, and listed companies and foreign investors were barred from investing or acquiring stakes in education firms that teach school subjects.
The industry is enormous: some $10 billion of venture capital flowed into China’s edtech sector in 2020 alone. According to a listing prospectus from New Oriental Education, a major tutoring company, the total number of K-12 student enrolments in after-school tutoring increased from 202.6 million in 2015 to 325.3 million in 2019 and was expected to increase to 659.5 million by 2024.
In an interview conducted on September 1, 2021,Ms. Wenchi Yu discusses the recent crackdown on private tutoring in China.
Journalist and author Lenora Chu and senior associate consultant at The Bridgespan Group Willie Thompson discuss how their exchange experiences have shaped their views of, and enabled them to speak effectively about, China.
The U.S. military is pulling out of Afghanistan, a process that should be complete by August 31. Both China and the United States face looming strategic challenges as a result. America’s presence has preserved a fragile balance of power in Central South Asia, benefitting both the United States and China. It has prevented terror activities from spilling over Afghanistan’s borders, as well as allowing for trade and facilitating the expansion of China’s BRI initiative into neighboring Pakistan. The U.S. foothold in Afghanistan has cost thousands of American lives and over two trillion dollars, but has also mitigated the threat of widespread terror activity, the initial impulse for going in in 2001. What will withdrawal mean for the security, politics, and economics of South Central Asia and for the U.S.-China relationship more broadly?
In an interview conducted on August 19, 2021, Mr. Derek Grossman and Ms. Niva Yau discuss the implications of the American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan for U.S.-China relations in conversation with Dr. Daniel Markey.
The adverse effects of climate change are already being seen in crippling high temperatures, prolonged droughts, and a seemingly constant stream of extreme weather events testing countries all over the world. With the United States and China jointly accounting for over 40 percent of global greenhouse emissions and geopolitical competition intensifying, Dr. Scott Moore explains how domestic national security interests intersect with the bilateral conversation on climate. As each nation seeks to mitigate the worst effects of climate change within their borders, where is bilateral climate cooperation taking place now and how might it develop in the future?
In an interview conducted on August 5, 2021, Dr. Scott Moore discusses the implications for climate change on national security in both China and the United States.
On August 12, 2021, the National Committee on United States-China Relations published a report based on a survey of leading American academic centers, think tanks, and NGOs on China-related issues. The survey, conducted in late 2020, was commissioned by Carnegie Corporation of New York in order to assess the state of China-focused international relations and peace and security programs in the United States. The 82 responses present a snapshot of the field in an era of global disruption, instability, and growing Sino-American tensions. In this interview, National Committee Senior Program Officer Rosie Levine explores the key findings from the report and the broader implications for the U.S.-China relationship. Read the report: https://ncuscr.news/survey
In recent years Japan has found itself increasingly at a crossroads between its post-War ally, the United States, and rising neighbor, China. U.S. Editor and Chief Desk Editor of Nikkei Asia, Ken Moriyasu, examines the geopolitics, trade, and history that play a role in shaping Japan’s ties with both major powers.
In many critical technology industries, the United States and China are locked in an intense competition for economic and innovative primacy. At the same time, the supply chains, talent pools, and financial capital of individuals, corporations, and governments in both countries are deeply entangled in one larger tech ecosystem. Using the semiconductor industry as a case study, we asked NCUSCR Director Anja Manuel to shine a light on this complex web of collaboration and competition, and discuss what it could mean for humanity’s shared technological future.
Anja Manuel is co-founder and partner in Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, a strategic consulting firm that helps U.S. companies navigate international markets. She is a former diplomat, author, and advisor on emerging markets.
National Committee Professional Fellows Program alumni Jo Nelson and Li Sai discuss the impact of their exchange experiences on their professional and personal lives and on their broader views of people-to-people exchange. Learn more at www.ncuscr.org/pfp
Taiwan faces many internal issues, as well as pressures from China which exacerbate home-grown problems. Its responses to these internal and external challenges, and ultimately whether it can stand its ground against China’s ambitions, will be formulated within the island's lively democratic system. "In Difficult Choices: Taiwan’s Quest for Security and the Good Life," Richard Bush explores the issues and policy choices Taiwan confronts and offers suggestions for what Taiwan can do to help itself and what the United States should do to improve Taiwan’s chances of success. In an interview conducted on June 8, 2021, Dr. Richard Bush discussed Taiwan’s predicament as it deals with internal issues and pressure from China, and recommended actions Taiwan and the United States could take to improve the likelihood that Taiwan will thrive.
The two sponsors of the Strategic Competition Act (S. 1169), Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator James Risch (R-ID), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, respectively, hailed committee passage of the legislation on April 21, stating that the bill “is an unprecedented, bipartisan effort to mobilize all United States strategic, economic, and diplomatic tools for an Indo-Pacific strategy that enables the U.S. government to compete effectively with the People’s Republic of China and the challenges it poses to our national and economic security for decades to come.” By contrast, Dr. Michael Swaine of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft sees the legislation as a dangerous “de facto declaration of a cold war with the People’s Republic of China.”
In an interview conducted on May 27, 2021, Dr. Michael Swaineand Dr. Rachel Odelldiscussed the Strategic Competition Act and its implications for U.S.-China relations.
In an interview conducted on May 12, 2021, Dr. Evan Medeiros discusses how conflict and conflict prevention are becoming increasingly central to American China policy as competition prevails in the policy framework.
In China, industry and political leaders are capitalizing on sci-fi’s unique ability to inspire the public and project a vision of the future that features China as a global innovation leader. Experts Aynne Kokas, Jing Tsu, and Yilin Wang explore how this genre can both reflect China’s present and shape its future.
The United States and China have pledged to work together to fight climate change. But is cooperation enough to stop global temperatures from rising past 1.5 degrees Celsius? Climate policy expert Deborah Seligsohn (Villanova University) explains how competition between the two countries can be leveraged as a positive force to deliver the best environmental outcomes. For more videos and podcasts, visit us at ncuscr.org/media.
Policies adopted by the People's Republic of China in Xinjiang since 2017 have garnered worldwide attention, as new technology has dramatically intensified methods of control and implicated China’s international trade, which includes a variety of products from Xinjiang and employs the labor of Xinjiang people. The Chinese Communist Party's new ethnic policies thus have growing international repercussions. Dr. James Millward discusses recent developments in Xinjiang, responses of governments around the world, and the implications for individual consumers in an interview conducted on March 31, 2021.
Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Russell Jeung addresses the alarming reports of violence and crimes committed against Asian Americans over the past year. He examines the racist beliefs that often motivate perpetrators, discusses the influence of social media, and offers a hopeful look at how Asian American communities and their allies are standing up to injustice nationwide.
Russell Jeung is a professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University. In 2020, Dr. Jeung launched Stop AAPI Hate, a project for tracking Covid-19-related discrimination in order to develop community resources and policy interventions to fight racism. Learn more about anti-Asian racism in the United States, and what you can do to help: ncuscr.org/anti-racism.
Dr. Chad Bown discusses the trade deal and prospects for American trade policies toward China in the new administration in an interview conducted on March 10, 2021.
In a February 8 report for the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Dr. Chad Bown argues that the U.S.-China Phase One Trade Deal should be examined by the Biden administration. The centerpiece of the trade deal – China’s pledge to buy $200 billion more of U.S. goods and services split over 2020 and 2021 – has thus far fallen far short of its target. Other elements of the deal, such as China’s commitment to reduce nontariff barriers and open up to foreign investment, merit consideration as the new administration develops its international economic policies. A fresh U.S. policy approach toward China is needed, and should be undertaken jointly with like-minded countries.
The February events in Myanmar have startled the world. While some countries quickly called the military takeover a coup, and U.S. President Joe Biden imposed sanctions to prevent the generals behind the coup from gaining access to funds in the United States, China has maintained a neutral position. Nonetheless, Myanmar’s unexpected political developments will inevitably introduce challenges and uncertainties into China-Myanmar relations. Geographical proximity, as well as complicated historical, ethnic, political, and economic ties, mean that whoever is in power in Naypyidaw will want to maintain a positive relationship with Beijing.
Yun Sun discusses the February 1 coup, subsequent events, Chinese responses, and the potential impact on Sino-U.S. relations in an interview conducted on March 5, 2021.
Arctic security and international relations expert Marc Lanteigne explores China's scientific, economic, and political interests in a rapidly changing region.
Dr. Marc Lanteigne is an associate professor of political science at UiT - the Arctic University of Norway, and is the author and editor of several books, including Routledge Handbook of Arctic Security (Routledge 2020).
Responding to domestic and international demand for seafood, China’s state-owned and private fishing enterprises have amassed the largest fleet of industrial long-distance ships in the world. Principal Investigator of Fisheries for Ecotrust Canada, Dr. Dyhia Belhabib, breaks down how and where the fleet operates, who it impacts, and what steps must be taken to ensure sustainable and equitable fishing worldwide.
More videos and podcasts from U.S.-China HORIZONS: https://www.ncuscr.org/HORIZONS.
A successful pandemic response helped reshape Taiwan’s image in 2020. Could a new U.S. administration further change the island’s prospects in 2021?
Margaret Lewis explores the new year's possibilities for U.S.-Taiwan relations, as well as the key issues facing the Taiwan government’s domestic and global standing.
Financial technology – aka fintech – is gaining in popularity globally as a way to improve the efficiency and accessibility of financial services. Fintech is taking off in China, catering to markets that state-owned banks and the undersized financial sector do not serve amid a backdrop of growing consumption and a large, tech-savvy millennial generation.
In this interview, NCUSCR Vice President Margot Landman interviews Sara Hsu, co-author of China’s Fintech Explosion , in which Ms. Hsu and Jianjun Li explore the transformative potential of China’s fintech industry, describing the risks and rewards for participants as well as the impact on consumers. They cover many subsectors of the industry: digital payment systems, peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding, credit card issuance, internet banks, blockchain finance and virtual currencies, and online insurance. Offering analysis of market potential, risks, and competition, the authors describe major companies including Alipay and Tencent, and other leading fintech firms.
Global fish consumption has risen rapidly since 1960, resulting in a 25 percent increase in overexploited fish stocks in the past 30 years alone. The United States and China are key drivers of the $150 billion wild seafood industry, making them leading stakeholders in ensuring its sustainable management. Tabitha Mallory, founder and CEO of the China Ocean Institute, discusses how China and the United States contribute to both the problems and solutions for conserving this valuable and vulnerable common resource.
China’s booming film market has become an essential consideration for the production of Hollywood movies. In an effort to take advantage of this audience, American entertainment conglomerates are increasingly partnering with Chinese studios, and producing products for the Chinese market. How will America’s entertainment powerhouses and China’s burgeoning film industry collaborate to build their global brand identities?
Dr. Aynne Kokas is an associate professor of media studies at the University of Virginia. She is the author of Hollywood Made in China (University of California Press, 2017).
For more videos and podcasts from the U.S.-China HORIZONS series, visit us at ncuscr.org/HORIZONS.
Tesla has proven that U.S. car companies can succeed in China—when they sell electric. But what will it take for the traditional auto industry to meet the demand for new energy vehicles in China and compete with local startups? Tu Le of Sino Auto Insights analyzes U.S.-China collaboration and interaction as a driving force behind the ascending global electric vehicle market.
Tu Le is the founder and managing director of Sino Auto Insights. He is recognized as an automotive & mobility expert in Asia, having spent time living and working in Detroit, Silicon Valley, and China.
For more videos and podcasts from the U.S.-China HORIZONS series, visit us at ncuscr.org/HORIZONS.
Jennifer Turner explains the recent evolution of China's dynamic new energy vehicle industry, including how it will influence electric vehicles in the United States and around the world.
Jennifer Turner is the director of the Wilson Center’s China Environment Forum and manager of its Global Choke Point Initiative. She is a widely-quoted expert on U.S.-China environmental cooperation as well as climate-related challenges and governance issues facing the world’s most populous country.
For more videos and podcasts from the U.S.-China HORIZONS series, visit us at ncuscr.org/HORIZONS.
Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, slowing economic growth, and tensions in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and beyond, Beijing will host its Fifth Plenum of the 19th Chinese Community Party from October 26 to October 29, 2020. Among other items on the Plenum agenda, the 14th Five-Year-Plan will be approved by the more than 300 full and alternate members of the Party Central Committee and a new economic strategy called the “2035 vision” will be unveiled.
Dr. Ling Chen, assistant professor of political science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, examines the upcoming Plenum in the context of Fifth Plenums past, considers the economic and non-economic items likely to be on the agenda, and reflects on the significance of the Plenum for China, the United States, and other parts of the world.
On July 23, 2020, the United States government ordered the Chinese consulate in Houston to close. Less than a week later, the American consulate in Chengdu was vacated as reciprocation from Beijing. Harvard University Department of Government Ph.D. candidate and former U.S. diplomat Naima Green-Riley analyzes the motivations behind each government's drastic step and evaluates the possible implications for the regions serviced by each consulate, as well as the U.S.-China relationship as a whole.
The Justice Department's China Initiative against economic espionage and intellectual property theft has made Chinese students in the United States a focus of increasing scrutiny, while Congress has initiated legislation aiming to restrict this broad group's ability to work and study in the United States.
In light of the Justice Department's more than 3,000 active investigations of China-affiliated researchers and students in the United States, Queens College President Frank Wu discusses the initiative, the resulting increase in scrutiny of Chinese nationals and Chinese-American students, and the potential threat to American competitiveness and economic vitality that these developments present.
Frank H. Wu is the president of Queens College, former president of the Committee of 100, and a former litigator and professor of law.
President Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected in January, 2020, on a platform similar to that of her first term, yet new cross-Strait developments and changing challenges at home suggest the next four years may not be a continuation of the status quo. Seton Hall University law professor and Taiwan expert Margaret Lewis explores the possibilities for mainland-Taiwan relations as well as the local issues that will define both Tsai's second term and the near future of Taiwan.
This speech is an excerpt from the National Committee 2020 Members Program. To hear NCUSCR Chair Ambassador Carla Hills introduction, as well as the extensive q&a with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, please listen to the episode on our Events channel, "Amb. Robert Zoellick | 2020 Annual Members Program FULL EVENT."
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations was pleased to host a virtual conversation on May 19, 2020, with Ambassador Robert Zoellick, former U.S. Trade Representative and president of the World Bank, among other positions in and outside of government. Fifteen years have passed since his “responsible stakeholder” speech at the National Committee’s 2005 Gala dinner. Ambassador Zoellick offered reflections on his 2005 speech and the policy implications of his approach for the United States when considering the current Sino-U.S. relationship.
Principal of Albright Stonebridge Group Amy Celico explains the fundamental challenges currently facing the bilateral commercial relationship between the United States and China. She also discusses why the “phase one” trade deal is a positive development and how COVID-19 is highlighting the role of foreign investors in China’s economic growth trajectory.
Amy Celico is a principal at the Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG) and leads the firm’s D.C.-based China practice, assisting corporate and non-profit clients develop and expand their business in China.
This episode is part of the National Committee's Coronavirus Impact Series: http://www.ncuscr.org/coronavirus
In an interview with NCUSCR President Steve Orlins, M. Taylor Fravel discusses his motivations for and key discoveries from writing, "Active Defense: China's Military Strategy Since 1949." He discusses China's activity in the East and South China Sea, as well as the CCP's definition of geopolitical "core interests." Fravel also considers how a historical perspective of China's military strategy has informed his views on whether China is an active military and national security threat to United States.
On October 10, 2019, Dr. Taylor Fravel presented his findings and discussed the implications for China’s current military behavior.
This episode is part of the National Committee's Coronavirus Impact Series: https://www.ncuscr.org/coronavirus
Sociologist Yingyi Ma assesses the difficult decision many Chinese international students at American universities currently face: whether to remain on closed campuses or travel back home. She also discusses how students have had to experience anti-Chinese stigma and navigate the mixed messages from their home country, parents, school administrators, and their country of residence.
Dr. Ma is an associate professor of sociology, a senior research associate at the Center for Policy Research, and director of Asian/Asian American studies at Syracuse University. A specialist in education and migration, Dr. Ma's latest book is, "Ambitious and Anxious: How Chinese Undergraduates Succeed and Struggle in American Higher Education" (Columbia University Press 2019).
This episode is part of the National Committee's Coronavirus Impact Series: http://www.ncuscr.org/coronavirus
As the United States’ confirmed coronavirus cases increase rapidly and China’s continue to decrease, Dr. Elanah Uretsky delivers an overarching analysis of how both countries’ public health responses already have—and will continue—to mitigate the pandemic’s spread. Please note that the following interview reflects information available at the time it was recorded (3/11/20), and that public health circumstances in China and the United States continue to change rapidly.
Dr. Elanah Uretsky is a medical anthropologist who is also broadly trained in global health. She is an assistant professor in international and global studies and anthropology at Brandeis University. A National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Public Intellectuals Program fellow, Dr. Uretsky is also a National Committee member.
This episode is part of the National Committee's Coronavirus Impact Series: www.ncuscr.org/coronavirus
The coronavirus outbreak has prompted a wave of public action in China, including fundraising, volunteering, citizen journalism, advocacy, and more. Professor Bin Xu examines varying forms of civic engagement in China, its implications for Chinese society and government, and its pitfalls, most notably the Red Cross Society of China scandal. He explores the novel use of social media and online platforms by the public and compares civic engagement today to the response to the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan.
Bin Xu is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Emory University. His research interests lie at the intersection of politics and culture. He is the author of, "The Politics of Compassion: The Sichuan Earthquake and Civic Engagement in China" (Stanford University Press, 2017). Dr. Xu is currently writing a book on the collective memory of China’s “educated youth” (zhiqing) generation—the 17 million Chinese youth sent down to the countryside in the 1960s and 1970s. His research has appeared in leading sociology and China studies journals, including Theory & Society, Sociological Theory, Social Problems, Social Psychology Quarterly, China Quarterly, and The China Journal. Dr. Xu is a National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Public Intellectuals Program fellow.
This episode is part of the National Committee's Coronavirus Impact Series.
Ford Foundation’s China Director, Elizabeth Knup, considers COVID-19’s potential to change the NGO landscape in China moving forward. She also discusses how her organization has adjusted to work during the epidemic and shares some of the ways Ford-funded NGOs are responding to the crisis.
Elizabeth Knup is the regional director in China for the Ford Foundation, overseeing all grant making in the country from Ford's Beijing office. Ms. Knup serves on the board of the National Committee on US-China Relations.
This episode is part of the National Committee's Coronavirus Impact Series.
In the wake of the Dow Jones’ dramatic correction at the end of February and continued market instability, Keith Abell examines how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting general market outlook and sentiment among investors in the United States and China.
Mr. Abell is the founder of NextWave Investment Strategies and the co-founder of Sungate Properties. He serves as treasurer on the National Committee’s board of directors.
The following episode is part of the National Committee's Coronavirus Impacts Series.
National Committee Chair Carla Hills delivers a message on the economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, specifically its effect on global trade and the phase one U.S.-China trade deal.
Ambassador Carla Hills is the Chair and CEO of Hills & Company, International Consultants. She served as United States Trade Representative from 1989 to 1993.
In an interview with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, Dr. David Zweig shares his research on China's "brain drain," Beijing's 1000 Talents Plan, and Washington's response to that program.
On January 27, 2020, the National Committee hosted a public program with Dr. David Zweig to discuss China’s "reverse migration" efforts, presenting the Thousand Talents Plan as a case study.
David Zweig is professor emeritus at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
In this podcast, Ambassador Robert Blackwill sits down with NCUSCR President Steve Orlins to discuss his recent report, "Implementing Grand Strategy Toward China: Twenty-Two U.S. Policy Prescriptions," published by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in January, 2020. Ambassador Blackwill shares how his report has been received by both critics and proponents of engagement with China, and expands on his analysis of China's increasingly assertive international presence.
On February 13, 2020, Ambassador Blackwill presented his report during a program at the National Committee. The full video can be found at www.ncuscr.video/ambblackwill.
Ambassador Blackwill is the Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at CFR and the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation Distinguished Scholar at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Ambassador Blackwill was deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for strategic planning under President George W. Bush; he also served as presidential envoy to Iraq. Dr. Blackwill went to the National Security Council (NSC) after serving as the U.S. ambassador to India from 2001 to 2003
Mark Frazier, author of The Power of Place: Contentious Politics in Twentieth-Century Shanghai and Bombay, talks to NCUSCR Vice President Jan Berris about his new book and the two cities that form its comparative poles. Mr. Frazier discusses the history of contentious politics in Shanghai and Mumbai, both of which were national economic, cultural, and political hubs of their respective countries throughout the twentieth century. He also reflects on his experiences conducting research, working with the municipal governments, and engaging with residents in both locations.
On October 3, 2019, Mark Frazier presented his book at a National Committee event in New York City. Join us at an upcoming event, or watch videos of past events: ncuscr.news/events
| Demonstrations that started peacefully in Hong Kong more than six months ago have grown increasingly confrontational. On December 10, Professor Jeffrey Wasserstrom of the University of California, Irvine, called in from Hong Kong to deliver his thoughts and observations from the ground to a National Committee teleconference. A long time analyst of protest in pre-1949 China and different parts of the PRC in recent decades, he traveled to Hong Kong in early December, after having last been there in early June when protests began, and shared his perspective on recent events and what he heard and learned from people who have been living through them. Jeffrey Wasserstrom is Chancellor’s Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine, where he also holds courtesy appointments in Law and in Literary Journalism. He has just completed work on Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink, a short book that will be published in February 2020 by Columbia Global Reports. His past books include China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know (co-authored by Maura Elizabeth Cunningham), the third edition of which came out from Oxford University Press in 2018, and Student Protests in Twentieth-Century China: The View from Shanghai (Stanford, 1991). A former member of the Board of Directors of the National Committee, he writes regularly for newspapers, magazines and scholarly journals. |
In this podcast interview with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, Jude D. Blanchette discusses his new book China’s New Red Guards: The Return of Radicalism and the Rebirth of Mao Zedong. Mr. Blanchette shares his inspiration for choosing a topic not focused on in Western literature, and relates his personal experiences conducting research in China.
Mr. Blanchette surveys the potential for a resurgence of Neo-Maoism as an active movement, examines the role previously played by Bo Xilai, former Party-Secretary of Chongqing. Mr. Blanchette then transitions to a broader meditation on President Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power, of which Bo Xilai was an infamous casualty. While recognizing an increasingly constricted political and ideological environment, Mr. Blanchette emphasizes the continued survival of intellectual debate and diverse political thought within China.
On October 18, 2019, Jude Blanchette presented his book at a National Committee event in New York City. Join us at an upcoming event, or watch videos of past events: ncuscr.news/events
Jude D. Blanchette is the Freeman Chair of China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He is also a senior advisor at Crumpton Group, a geo-political risk advisory in Arlington, VA. He serves as an adjunct fellow of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, and is a National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Public Intellectuals Program fellow. Read Full Bio: ncuscr.news/jude
Admiral Philip Davidson provides an assessment of the U.S.-China relationship, highlighting the complexities, comparing the contradictions, and describing the conundrums facing the United States at a time during which it seems clearer than ever that security and economics are inextricably linked as bilateral competition grows. In this interview, conducted by National Committee President Stephen Orlins, Admiral Davidson draws on his experience at the helm of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to delve deeper into the issues currently testing the U.S.-China relationship.
On October 2, 2019, Admiral Davidson presented his views at a National Committee event in New York City. Join us at an upcoming event: ncuscr.news/events
Admiral Philip S. Davidson is a 1982 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval War College with a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies, and a bachelor’s degree in physics. He is the 25th commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (formerly the U.S. Pacific Command), America's oldest and largest military combatant command, located in Hawaii. Read Full Bio: ncuscr.news/admpsd
In this podcast interview with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, Ambassador Winston Lord discusses his new book Kissinger on Kissinger: Reflections on Diplomacy, Grand Strategy, and Leadership. Ambassador Lord talks about what it was like to work with Dr. Kissinger, his memories of Nixon's visit to China, and what lessons from his and Dr. Kissinger's experiences can be applied to today's competitive relationship with China.
Winston Lord has had a long and varied career in and out of government, serving as special assistant to the national security advisor (1970-73) and director of the State Department policy planning staff under President Nixon (1973-77), ambassador to China for Presidents Reagan and the first President Bush (1985-89), and assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs under President Clinton (1993-97). Earlier in his career he held many positions in the State Department as a foreign service officer, and served on the policy planning staff of the Defense Department.
Between government postings Ambassador Lord was a board member of many non-partisan, non-government organizations related to global issues. These include his service as president of the Council on Foreign Relations, co-chair of the International Rescue Committee, chair of the National Endowment for Democracy, and chair of the Carnegie Endowment National Commission on America and the New World. He is a member and former director of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
Ambassador Lord earned a B.A. from Yale (magna cum laude) and an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (first in his class). He has received several honorary degrees, the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award, and the Defense Department’s Outstanding Performance Award. Ambassador Lord has appeared on all major U.S. media networks, and his writings include articles in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, and Foreign Affairs.
In this interview with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, founder and CEO of 52 Capital Partners David P. Willard discusses how his work in mergers and acquisitions is affected by macroeconomic policies in the United States and China and gives his perspective on where the economic relationship between the two countries is heading. Mr. Willard spoke at a National Committee event on April 25, 2019. Learn more: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/future-us-china-economic-relations
David P. Willard is the founder, chief executive officer & managing partner of 52 Capital Partners, LLC., responsible for all major aspects of the firm’s executive management, strategy, client development, investment process and thought leadership. Throughout his career, Mr. Willard has executed and participated in major M&A transactions and other corporate matters at firms in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, closing 53 transactions totaling over $150 billion in aggregate value.
A recognized expert on China, Mr. Willard speaks regularly on U.S.-China mergers and acquisitions, as well as other investment topics. He received his B.A. in East Asian Studies from Princeton, and his J.D. from the New York University School of Law. Mr. Willard is a member of the National Committee on United States-China Relations.
In this interview with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, Dr. Weijian Shan discusses his new autobiography, Out of the Gobi, about his experience during the Cultural Revolution as a manual laborer in the Gobi Desert. He explains what prompted him to write the book and why learning about the Cultural Revolution is essential to understanding China.
Dr. Shan gave a talk to the National Committee about his book on January 28. Learn more: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/out-gobi
Dr. Weijian Shan is chairman and CEO of PAG, one of the largest private equity firms in Asia. Before joining PAG, he was a partner of TPG, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, and co-managing partner of TPG Asia (formerly known as Newbridge Capital). At TPG, Dr. Shan led a number of landmark transactions including the acquisitions of Korea First Bank and China’s Shenzhen Development Bank, both of which made his investors billions of dollars in profits and were made into case studies of Harvard Business School. Previously, Dr. Shan was a managing director of JP Morgan, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and laborer in Inner Mongolia.
Despite not attending secondary school, Dr. Shan received an M.A. and Ph.D., both in economics, from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.B.A. from the University of San Francisco. He studied English at the Beijing Institute of Foreign Trade (now the Beijing University of International Business and Economics), where he also taught.
As the attendance of Chinese students at U.S. institutions of higher education comes under greater scrutiny, Peggy Blumenthal of the Institute for International Education explains the history of Chinese students in the United States, their impact on American institutions, why they come, and how new visa policies may affect their enrollment. Peggy Blumenthal is senior counselor to the president at the Institute for International Education (IIE), where she has served since 1984 and was chief operating officer from 2005 to 2011. Previously, she was assistant director of Stanford University’s Overseas Studies, and coordinator of Graduate Services/Fellowships for the University of Hawaii’s Center for Asian and Pacific Studies.
Barbara Finamore, author of the new book Will China Save the Planet?, talks to Jan Berris, National Commitee Vice President, about China's path to becoming a responsible stakeholder on environmental issues.
In this interview, Professor Rongbin Han discusses his new book, Contesting Cyberspace in China, with Senior Director for Education Programs Margot Landman. He talks about his experiences a university student in China at the dawn of the Internet, the Internet's relation to democracy as well as illiberal discourse, and the role of the "50-Cent Army" on Chinese social media.
In this interview, Benjamin Shobert discusses his new book Blaming China: It Might Feel Good but it Won't Fix America's Economy with National Committee President Stephen Orlins. He talks about the changes in the U.S. political atmosphere that inspired him to write the book, and where he sees the bilateral relationship heading.
In this conversation, Professors Benjamin Liebman and Rory Truex, both fellows in the National Committee's Public Intellectuals Program, discuss the findings of Truex's recent study, co-authored with Professor Sheena Greitens, on American China scholars' repressive experiences in China.
In this interview, Pieter Bottelier discusses his new book Economic Policy Making in China (1949-2016): The Role of Economistswith National Committee President Steve Orlins. Bottelier talks about the history behind China's current economic policy and where he thinks it's headed.
In this interview, Dr. Ji Li discusses his new book The Clash of Capitalisms? Chinese Companies in the United Stateswith National Committee President Stephen Orlins. Professor Li talks about his research methodologies and findings on Chinese companies' compliance with U.S. regulatory institutions.
Dr. Ji Liis professor of law at Rutgers University and a member of the associate faculty of the division of global affairs. Professor Li received his Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University and J.D. from Yale Law School where he was an Olin Fellow in Law, Economics and Public Policy. Before joining the Rutgers faculty, he practiced corporate and tax law for several years in the New York office of Sullivan & Cromwell. Professor Li’s teaching and scholarship explore a broad range of topics including international business transactions, taxation, contracts, comparative law, Chinese law and politics, and empirical legal studies.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, Professor Li will be in residence at Princeton University’s Institute for Advanced Study working on his second book, a unified theory of Chinese judicial behavior.
In this interview, author Stephen R. Platt discusses his new book Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age with Senior Director for Education Programs Margot Landman, describing his process behind writing the book and the historical context that led to the war.
In this interview with National Committee President Stephen Orlins, Foreign Affairs Executive Editor Daniel Kurtz-Phelan discusses his new book, The China Mission: George Marshall's Unfinished War. He talks about George Marshall's efforts to make peace between the Nationalists and Communists in China after World War II, the fascinating figures at the center of the story, and if Marshall's mission was futile to begin with.
Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, who became executive editor of Foreign Affairsin October 2017, was previously a fellow with New America’s international security program. Before that, he was a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi and a senior advisor to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Kurtz-Phelan advised Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a member of her policy planning staff.
In this interview with Senior Director for Education Programs Margot Landman, IIE's Peggy Blumenthal and Professor David Zweig discuss their research into the impact Chinese students have on American universities and their prospects upon returning to China.
Peggy Blumenthal, Senior Counselor to the President, Institute of International Education (IIE). After 20 years of service at the Institute of International Education, Ms. Blumenthal became its chief operating officer in 2005, shifting to the role of senior counselor in 2011.
David Zweig is Chair Professor, Division of Social Science, and Director, Center on China’s Transnational Relations (www.cctr.ust.hk), at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is an adjunct professor, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, and Vice-President of the Center on China’s Globalization (Beijing).
In this interview with Senior Director for Educational Programs Margot Landman, author Scott Seligman discusses his new book, The Third Degree: The Triple Murder that Shook Washington and Changed American Criminal Justice.
In this interview with Senior Director for Educational Programs Margot Landman, Denise Ho, author of Curating Revolution: Politics on Display in Mao's China, discusses the "participatory propaganda" of exhibitions during the Cultural Revolution.
In conversation with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, former AIIB General Counsel Natalie Lichtenstein discusses the process behind drafting the bank's charter.
Natalie Lichtenstein is a U.S. lawyer who has specialized in legal issues at international financial institutions, and legal development in China, since the 1970s. She was the inaugural general counsel of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the principal drafter of the AIIB Charter. Her work for AIIB drew on her 30-year legal career at the World Bank, where she advised on lending operations in China and other countries for 20 years. During her last decade there, she served in senior positions, specializing in institutional governance issues and reforms. As a young lawyer at the U.S. Treasury Department, she worked on international financial institution matters and normalization of U.S.-China relations.
Ms. Lichtenstein has taught Chinese law in the U.S. since the 1980s, and has consulted on Chinese legal development projects. She is an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a member of the advisory board of the Duke-Kunshan University. In addition to her book on the AIIB, she is the author of numerous articles in professional journals. She received her AB summa cum laudein East Asian Studies and JD from Harvard University.
In conversation with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, South China Morning Post CEO Gary Liu talks about the opportunity to transform the SCMP into a digital media brand, the challenges of running a newspaper in the current media landscape, and retaining SCMP's unique editorial voice.
In a conversation with fellow University of Toronto professor Sida Liu, Diana Fu discusses her new book, Mobilizing Without the Masses: Contention and Control in China.
Dr. Diana Fu is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto and an affiliate of the Munk School of Global Affairs Asian Institute. Her research examines the relationship between popular contention, state power, and civil society in contemporary China.
In this interview with National Committee Senior Director for Educational Programs Margot Landman, Dr. Szu-chien Hsu discusses his work as the president of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD). He talks about why he believes in the mission of TFD, how democratic values are being threatened worldwide, and his research findings on the political activism of Taiwan's youth.
Dr. Szu-chien Hsu is president of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD), as well as an associate research fellow at the Institute of Political Science of Academia Sinica in Taipei and director of the Center for Contemporary China at National Tsinghua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
For more information on the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations’ events, visit us at https://www.ncuscr.org/events.
In this interview, professor Carl Minzner discusses his new book, End of an Era: How China’s Authoritarian Revival is Undermining its Rise with National Committee President Stephen Orlins. He talks about what inspired him to write the book, how norms established in the Reform Era are breaking down, and whether the Chinese government's actions have historical precedent in other countries.
Carl Minzneris an expert in Chinese law and governance. He has written extensively on these topics in both academic journals and the popular press, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Christian Science Monitor. Professor Minzner’s academic works include “China After the Reform Era” (Journal of Democracy, 2015), “The Rise and Fall of Chinese Legal Education” (Fordham International Law Journal, 2013), and “China’s Turn Against Law” (American Journal of Comparative Law, 2011).
For more information on the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations’ events, visit us at www.ncuscr.org/events.
In this interview, journalist Roseann Lake discusses her new book, Leftover in China: The Women Shaping the World’s Next Superpower with National Committee Senior Director for Educational Programs Margot Landman. She talks about how she originally became interested in the topic, her research process, and the social barriers that created the “leftover women” phenomenon.
Roseann Lake is now The Economist's Cuba correspondent. She was previously based in Beijing, where she spent five years working as a television and print reporter. Her China coverage has appeared in Foreign Policy, Time, The Atlantic, Salon and Vice, among other publications. She divides her time between New York City and Havana.
For more information on the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations’ events, visit us at https://www.ncuscr.org/events.
On Sunday, February 25, 2018, the world learned that the Chinese Constitution would be amended to allow the president and vice president to stay in office beyond two terms (ten years) – the limit established in the 1982 constitutional revision. On Thursday, March 1, President Trump announced that the United States would impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. Although the tariffs apply to products from all over the world, many assume that they are aimed at China.
The National Committee invited the Honorable Jeffrey A. Bader to discuss the implications of these and other recent developments in China and the United States, in a teleconference moderated by NCUSCR President Steve Orlins on March 6, 2018. In this brief excerpt from the teleconference, Ambassador Bader gives an overview of the impact of these events on the Sino-American relationship.
Jeffrey Bader is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s John L. Thornton China Center and the first director of the Center (2005-2009). From 2009 until 2011, Ambassador Bader was special assistant to the president of the United States for national security affairs at the National Security Council. In that capacity, he was the principal advisor to President Obama on Asia.
During his 30-year career with the U.S. government, Amb. Bader focused primarily on U.S.-China relations at the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative. In 2001, as assistant U.S. trade representative, he led the United States delegation in completing negotiations on the accession of China and Taiwan into the World Trade Organization. As a foreign service officer, he served in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Namibia, Zambia, Congo, and the United States Mission to the United Nations. During the 1990s, he was deputy assistant secretary of state responsible for China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia; director of Asian affairs at the National Security Council; and director of the State Department’s Office of Chinese Affairs. He served as U.S. ambassador to Namibia from 1999 to 2001.
Amb. Bader is the author of Obama and China’s Rise: An Insider’s Account of America’s Asia Strategy, published in 2012 by Brookings Institution Press. He is president and sole proprietor of Jeffrey Bader LLC, which provides assistance to companies with interests in Asia, and a member of the National Committee’s board of directors. He received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his master’s and doctoral degrees in European history from Columbia University.
In this podcast interview with National Committee President Stephen Orlins, Professor David Denoon discusses Chinese and American interests in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and South America, adding another dimension to the study of the bilateral relationship.
Much has been written about the dynamics that have traditionally defined U.S.-China relations. But as China adopts a more activist foreign policy and increasingly seeks investment opportunities around the world, new theatres of cooperation and contention are coming into play. In a series of three edited volumes, David Denoon explores the interests and policies of the United States and China in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and South America respectively. In this trilogy, Professor Denoon examines points of both mutual and competing interests in the U.S. and China’s economic and security relations with each region.
On February 20, 2018, the National Committee held a discussion with Dr. Denoon that touched on all three volumes in the series, with Dr. Denoon comparing and contrasting the ways in which Sino-American strategic competition is unfolding in each region, as well as their implications for the broader U.S.-China relationship.
David Denoon is a professor of politics and economics at New York University and director of the NYU Center on U.S.-China Relations. He has served in the federal government in three positions: program economist for USAID in Jakarta, vice president of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and deputy assistant secretary of defense.
Professor Denoon is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the U.S. Committee on Security Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific (USSCAP), the Asia Society, the Korea Society, the U.S.-Indonesia Society, and is chairman of the New York University Asia Policy Seminar. He is also chairman of the Editorial Advisory Board of Great Decisions.
He is the author and editor of ten books, including Real Reciprocity - Balancing U.S. Economic and Security Policy in the Pacific Basin, and The Economic and Strategic Rise of China and India.
Professor Denoon holds a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.P.A. from Princeton University, and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Between ballooning debt to GDP ratios, overinvestment in the property market, and industrial overcapacity, the uneven structure of China’s economic growth provides plenty of reasons for concern. Yet so far, China’s unique blend of state-led and laissez-faire capitalism has proved remarkably strong, defying numerous predictions of imminent economic catastrophe. In a new book, Will China’s Economy Collapse? New York University Adjunct Professor Ann Lee addresses key questions that China watchers and economists have been asking about the longevity of China’s unprecedented economic development and its future prospects.
In her book, Professor Lee examines why China’s economy might be more resilient than commonly presumed, and provides a careful analysis of its strengths and weaknesses. She also addresses the implications for other capitalist societies around the world and offers advice to policy makers about what changes must occur to ensure continued global stability and prosperity. Professor Lee discussed her book, China’s economic outlook, and the future of global capitalism in New York on February 7, 2018, with National Committee President Stephen Orlins.
Ann Lee is an internationally recognized authority on China’s economic relations and the CEO of Coterie, a new technology investment consortium. She is also a former visiting professor at Peking University and currently an adjunct professor at New York University where she teaches macroeconomics and financial derivatives. She consults with policymakers from Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the U.S. about U.S.-China relations, international finance and trade, and China’s political economy.
In addition to numerous television and radio appearances, Dr. Lee’s op-eds have appeared in major publications in the United States and Asia.
A former investment banker in high yield bonds and technology stocks, as well as a partner and credit derivatives trader in two multi-billion dollar hedge fund firms, she is also the author of the book What the U.S. Can Learn from China, an award winning international bestseller. She is an active member of the Authors Guild and the Pen America Society.
Dr. Lee attended U.C. Berkeley, Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs, and Harvard Business School.
On May 12, 2008, a massive earthquake rocked central Sichuan, killing 87,000 people and leaving five million homeless in the second worst natural disaster in China’s modern history (the first was the Tangshan earthquake of 1976). As news of the event spread, hundreds of thousands of volunteers poured into Sichuan from all over China to help wherever they were needed. Many cooked, cleaned, and cared for survivors, but the sudden explosion of civic engagement also led to more politically oriented activities, as the magnitude of the tragedy forced an emotional confrontation with the deeper causes of the destruction beyond the violence of the quake itself.
In a new book The Politics of Compassion: The Sichuan Earthquake and Civic Engagement in China, sociologist and China expert Bin Xu examines the ways in which civic engagement unfolded in the aftermath of the earthquake, and what these developments reveal about China’s evolving civil society.
Drawing on extensive interviews and documentary research, Dr. Xu challenges many of the popular narratives about the national outpouring of compassion, and illustrates the tension between volunteering and activism. Dr. Xu joined the National Committee on January 31, 2018, for a discussion of his book and China’s civil society with NCUSCR Vice President Jan Berris.
Bin Xu is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at Emory University. His research interests lie at the intersection of politics and culture. He is currently writing a book on the collective memory of China’s “educated youth” (zhiqing) generation—the 17 million Chinese youth sent down to the countryside in the 1960s and 1970s. His research has appeared in leading sociology and China studies journals, including Theory & Society, Sociological Theory, Social Problems, Social Psychology Quarterly, China Quarterly, and The China Journal. Dr. Xu is a fellow in the National Committee’s Public Intellectuals Program.
After the United States and China established diplomatic relations in 1979, those who had left China around 1949 were able to visit family members who had remained in China. Three decades of separation gave rise to many unanswered questions on both sides. One such question inspired young journalist Jennifer Lin: “Do you have any idea what happened to us?” she was asked at a family reunion in Shanghai in 1979. She then embarked on a 30-year quest to uncover her family history. The daughter of a Chinese father and a Catholic, Italian-American mother, Ms. Lin explored her family’s Anglican past in Shanghai, and its experiences as Chinese Christians under communist rule. The resulting book, Shanghai Faithful: Betrayal and Forgiveness in a Chinese Christian Family, is an account of China’s chaotic modern history through the eyes of a single family whose western education, charismatic leadership, and Christian faith made it targets during the Cultural Revolution. Ms. Lin joined the National Committee on January 24, 2018 in New York, for a discussion of her book, her family, and the recent history of Christianity in China with National Committee Senior Director for Education Programs Margot Landman.
Jennifer Lin is an award-winning journalist and former reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer; she served as the paper’s New York financial correspondent, Washington foreign affairs reporter, and Asia bureau chief in Beijing.
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
China’s rapid economic growth that has accompanied its “Reform and Opening” over the last four decades is the subject of millions of pages of discussion and analysis. Yet it is rarely contextualized within the long arc of China’s quest for modernity stretching back at least to the mid-19th century. Long before Deng Xiaoping’s reforms, enterprising Chinese engaged the outside world through trade, education, and other mediums, laying the foundation for China’s modernization. From this perspective, the Mao era appears as an interlude rather than a new beginning. In his book, A Village with My Name: A Family History of China’s Opening to the World, journalist Scott Tong explores continuities in China’s development through an investigation of his own family history.
Beginning at the end of his stay in Shanghai for the radio program “Marketplace,” and over the next few years, Mr. Tong travelled around China to uncover his family’s past and reconnect with family members who stayed behind when some of his grandparents and his parents fled the mainland. The result is a long form journalistic account of his family’s story, China’s tumultuous modern history, and the roots of the country’s present ascendancy. Mr. Tong joined the National Committee on December 18, 2017 in New York for a discussion of his book as well as his three and a half year journey to discover China’s past along with his own. The conversation was moderated by Professor James Carter, Director of Asian Studies at Saint Joseph’s University.
Scott Tong has reported from more than a dozen countries as a correspondent for Marketplace, from refugee camps in east Africa to shoe factories in eastern China. Currently he serves on Marketplace’s sustainability desk, focusing on energy, the environment, natural resources and the global economy. Mr. Tong joined Marketplace in 2004, and opened its first bureau in Shanghai, as bureau chief, in 2006. Before joining Marketplace, he worked as a producer and off-air reporter for the PBS NewsHour, where he produced a series of mini-documentaries from Iraq following the U.S. invasion in 2003.
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Over the last three and a half decades, China’s rise has largely been underpinned by two great transitions: from socialism to capitalism, and from agriculture to industry. The workplace and the institutions that govern it have served as the critical link that enabled these transitions to take place. As these processes continue, the interests of the central government and Chinese workers have converged upon improved working conditions and formalization of employment. Workers have naturally sought greater security in their new urban homes, and China’s leaders have seen the long-term strategic utility of better labor laws as the country moves away from reliance on low cost, low-tech manufacturing. Even so, there remains a wide gap between what is promised by the central authorities, and what is delivered on the factory floor.
How the Chinese government confronts this complex policy landscape is the central question of political science professor and China expert Mary Gallagher’s new book: Authoritarian Legality in China: Law, Workers, and the State. In her book, Dr. Gallagher elucidates the aims and trajectory of Chinese labor law, as well as what the implications are for China’s workers. She joined the National Committee on December 12, 2017, for a discussion of her book and new developments in China’s labor laws and workplace relations. The conversation was moderated by Qin Gao, professor of social policy at the Columbia School of Social Work
Mary Gallagher is a professor of political science at the University of Michigan where she is also the director of the Kenneth G. Lieberthal and Richard H. Rogel Center for Chinese Studies. She is the author and editor of several books, including Contagious Capitalism: Globalization and the Politics of Labor in China (Princeton 2005); Chinese Justice: Civil Dispute Resolution in Contemporary China (Cambridge 2011); From Iron Rice Bowl to Informalization: Markets, Workers, and the State in a Changing China (Cornell 2011); and Contemporary Chinese Politics: New Sources, Methods, and Field Strategies (Cambridge 2010).
Qin Gao, PhD, is professor of social policy and social work at Columbia University School of Social Work and founding director of China Center for Social Policy. She is a faculty affiliate of the Columbia Population Research Center and Weatherhead East Asian Institute. She is also an academic board member of the China Institute for Income Distribution at Beijing Normal University, and a Public Intellectual Fellow of the National Committee on United States-China Relations.
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
In his third book on China, acclaimed reporter and travel writer Michael Meyer provides an account of his 22 years of engagement with the country. Beginning with his arrival as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Sichuan in 1995, The Road to Sleeping Dragon: Learning China from the Ground Up recounts how he came to understand the country that looms so large on today’s global stage. By sharing his deeply personal journey over two decades, the book offers a unique perspective on China’s culture and society. Mr. Meyer joined National Committee Vice President Jan Berris for a conversation about his new book and experiences living in and writing about China, on November 16, 2017 in New York.
Mr. Meyer is associate professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh and a fellow in the National Committee’s Public Intellectuals Program.
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (www.ncuscr.org) is the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
In recent years, China has taken an increasingly active role in global affairs. From the managers of state owned enterprises to political and military leaders, Chinese have looked abroad, including to the resource rich Middle East. What does Chinese engagement mean for the region? What opportunities and challenges does the Belt and Road Initiative bring?
Dr. Pan Guang, professor at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Vice President of Chinese Association for Middle East Studies and director of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Belt and Road Studies Center, joined the National Committee in New York on October 20, 2017 for a conversation with National Committee Vice President Jan Berris that addresses these critical questions.
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (www.ncuscr.org) is the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Over the past four decades, global cities have emerged in both the United States and China, including Hong Kong. In the process, they have absorbed their local environments and expanded their commercial networks around the world. As the urban landscapes and global reach of Chinese and American cities have grown, so have their environmental footprints. Challenging issues of air and water quality, water supply, transportation, land use, and food have accompanied rapid urban growth. In many cases, municipal leaders have developed innovative solutions that restructure patterns of resource consumption. In a new book, Robert Gottlieb, an urban and environmental policy expert, and sustainability expert Simon Ng assess the policy responses of different cities in the United States and China to rapid urbanization and its environmental impact.
In The Global Cities: Urban Environments in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and China, Mr. Gottlieb and Mr. Ng identify and analyze how urban environmental issues have been addressed in these localities and the reasons behind the policies. They also examine what lessons can be learned from those experiences to inform policy debates, as well as the role of social movements in influencing policy-making. On October 19, 2017, Mr. Gottlieb and Mr. Ng joined the National Committee for a discussion of their book, recent developments in municipal sustainability efforts, and opportunities for further policy innovation in city government.
Robert Gottlieb is emeritus professor of urban and environmental policy and the founder and former director of the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College.
Simon Ng is an independent consultant working on air quality, urban transportation, and sustainability issues. Trained as a geographer, Simon is known for his ground-breaking work on ship emissions inventory and control policy in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta, as well as his research on walkability.
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (www.ncuscr.org) is the leading nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages understanding of China and the United States among citizens of both countries.
Popular images of Chinese media generally cast it as an agent of state propaganda. This is hardly surprising given the history of Chinese official media, and the swift suppression of those who openly criticize the regime. Yet the dichotomy between media and the party, with the former perpetually dominated by the latter, is complicated by the emergence of what Maria Repnikova, in her new book, terms “critical journalism.”
In Media Politics in China: Improvising Power under Authoritarianism, Dr. Repnikova reveals a web of complex negotiations taking place between investigative journalists who have probed sensitive issues such as food safety and corruption, and party officials. Chinese critical journalists do not protest overtly, but their dynamic relationship with the party-state, characterized by what Dr. Repnikova calls “guarded improvisation,” leaves room for an important creative and political agency as they cautiously cover complicated, and sometimes controversial, topics. On November 2, 2017, Dr. Repnikova joined National Committee Senior Director for Education Margot Landman in New York for a discussion of her book, the role of Chinese media, and what it means to be a Chinese journalist in the Xi era.
In this podcast interview, Ian Johnson discusses his recent book, the religious revival underway in China, and what this means for the world’s newest superpower, with National Committee Senior Director for Educational Programs Margot Landman.
The Communist Party of China has long had an uneasy relationship with religion. Its antipathy reached a crescendo during the Cultural Revolution when religion was attacked as part of the “Four Olds” campaign; public worship and ceremony were banned, members of the clergy were imprisoned or sent to forced labor, and religious buildings and texts were destroyed. Since the death of Mao, and especially in recent years, religion has seen a resurgence, as people search for meaning in a rapidly changing political and social landscape. Many questions have emerged over questions of identity and how to lead an ethical life.
In his recent book, The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Johnson recounts a six-year odyssey travelling and observing contemporary Chinese religion. From underground Christian churches to rural Daoist priests, Mr. Johnson outlines various manifestations of the greatest spiritual revival of our time, and probes the myriad questions and doubts that motivate millions of Chinese to seek religious support. On October 26, 2017, Mr. Johnson joined the National Committee for a discussion on his book and China’s epic religious renaissance.
Ian Johnson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer focusing on society, religion, and history. He works out of Beijing, where he also teaches undergraduate classes.
Mr. Johnson has spent over half of the past thirty years in the Greater China region, first as a student in Beijing from 1984 to 1985, and then in Taipei from 1986 to 1988. He later worked as a newspaper correspondent in China, from 1994 to 1996 with Baltimore's The Sun, and from 1997 to 2001 with The Wall Street Journal, where he covered macro-economics, China's WTO accession and social issues. In 2009, Johnson returned to China, where he writes features and essays for the New York Times, The New York Review of Books, as well as other publications, such as The New Yorker and National Geographic. He teaches undergraduates at The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies, where he also runs a fellowship program. In addition, he formally advises a variety of academic journals and think tanks on China, such as the Journal of Asian Studies, the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies, and New York University's Center for Religion and Media.
In recent years, China has devoted massive resources to advancing its capacity for technological innovation. The resulting deluge of R&D activities has brought Chinese companies significant commercial success. However, the massive resources China has mobilized are not yet efficiently translating into successful outputs, resulting in a “low metabolism” of inputs into technology innovation.
Scott Kennedy, deputy director of China studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), has published a comparative analysis of China’s innovation push that uses quantitative measures to evaluate its effectiveness. On October 6, 2017, he discussed his findings with National Committee President Stephen Orlins in New York City.
In a globalized world where millions of people travel between east and west each year and formerly separate cultural zones now overlap, it has never been more important to understand the values and perspectives that inform cross-cultural relations. Two new works of cultural observation and commentary put the differences in education, identity, and politics in the United States and China in perspective:
Lenora Chu’s Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve, examines the benefits and drawbacks of China’s famously rigorous education system through the lens of her son’s experience attending an elite public school in Shanghai. The book then expands to consider what Americans can learn from Chinese pedagogy, and, more broadly, what the purpose of education is.
Gish Jen’s The Girl at the Baggage Claim: Explaining the East-West Culture Gap, is a wide-ranging investigation of how differing conceptions of the self in Asia and the western world can explain the incongruous expectations and assumptions that can produce awkward or confusing cross-cultural encounters. Gish Jen explores how emphasis on the individual or on context in western and eastern cultures respectively anchor very different understandings of the same events and behavior, which is ultimately reflected in distinctive educational, business, and governing institutions.
On September 18, 2017, both authors joined the National Committee for a conversation about their books, contemporary east-west exchange, and how people on both sides of the cultural divide can better understand and learn from one another, in a conversation moderated by NCUSCR Senior Director for Educational Programs Margot Landman.
A former TV correspondent with Thomson Reuters and a contributing writer with CNNMoney.com, Lenora Chu is an award-winning journalist. Her freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, APM’s Marketplace and PRI’s The World. She has lived in Shanghai since 2010. Ms. Chu holds degrees from Stanford University and Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism, and she speaks Mandarin.
The author of six previous books, both fiction and non-fiction, renowned writer Gish Jen has published short pieces in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, and dozens of other periodicals and anthologies. Her work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories four times, including The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike.
Ms. Jen is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has been awarded the Lannan Literary Award for Fiction, a Guggenheim fellowship, a Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study fellowship, and numerous other awards. An American Academy of Arts and Letters jury granted her a five-year Mildred and Harold Strauss Living award. Ms. Jen delivered the William E. Massey, Sr. Lectures in the History of American Civilization at Harvard University in 2012. She is a graduate of Harvard University and the Iowa Writers Workshop.
A call to action by President Xi Jinping has led to significant resources being devoted to the development and expansion of China’s think tanks. While some critics have derided them as “tanks without thinkers,” China’s think tanks play a growing part in the crafting of domestic and foreign policies. In addition, their connections to party leadership make them an invaluable window through which foreign scholars and officials can observe both the Chinese intellectual discourse and policymaking process.
In a pioneering new study, The Power of Ideas: The Rising Influence of Thinkers and Think Tanks in China, Dr. Cheng Li of the Brookings Institution examines the complicated relationship between the Chinese government and think tanks and the prospects for China’s efforts to promote new types of think tanks. On September 6, 2017, Dr. Li joined the National Committee for a discussion of his book with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins.
Cheng Li is director and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s John L. Thornton China Center. Dr. Li is also a director of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, a member of the Academic Advisory Team of the Congressional U.S.-China Working Group, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of the Committee of 100. He is the author/editor of numerous books, including Rediscovering China: Dynamics and Dilemmas of Reform (1997), China’s Leaders: The New Generation (2001), Bridging Minds Across the Pacific: The Sino-US Educational Exchange (2005), China’s Changing Political Landscape: Prospects for Democracy (2008), China’s Emerging Middle Class: Beyond Economic Transformation (2010), The Road to Zhongnanhai: High-Level Leadership Groups on the Eve of the 18th Party Congress (2012, in Chinese), China’s Political Development: Chinese and American Perspectives (2014), Chinese Politics in the Xi Jinping Era: Reassessing Collective Leadership (2016) and The Power of Ideas: The Rising Influence of Thinkers and Think Tanks in China (2017). He is the principal editor of the Thornton Center Chinese Thinkers Series published by the Brookings Institution Press.
Dr. Li has advised a wide range of U.S. government, education, research, business and not-for-profit organizations on work in China, and is frequently called upon to share his perspectives and insights as an expert on China. He recently appeared on BBC, CCTV, CNN, C-SPAN, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, NPR Diane Rehm Show, and the PBS Charlie Rose Show. Dr. Li grew up in Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution. In 1985, he came to the United States where he later received an M.A. in Asian studies from the University of California and a Ph.D. in political science from Princeton University.
Creating Across Cultures is a collection of stories about visionary women in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan who defied cultural and social expectations to become leaders in the arts. Working in the literary, visual and performing arts, these women journeyed outside their cultures, engaging with the international artistic community. Their personal histories open windows onto the larger, historical trajectory of China over three generations, while their artwork delves into social realities and challenges of the day. The stories, based on personal interviews and professional archives, were written by a team of arts specialists, journalists, and academics who have made these accounts available in English for the first time. In bringing these 16 women’s stories together in one book, editor Michelle Vosper illuminates the value of the exchange of arts and ideas across borders and cultures, while offering inspiring role models for women aspiring to careers in the arts. Ms. Vosper joined the National Committee on June 26, 2017, to discuss her book, the women whose stories it details, and her own experience fostering cross-cultural artistic exchanges, in a conversation moderated by National Committee Vice President Jan Berris. For more information about Creating Across Cultures and profiles of the artists: https://www.ncuscr.org/sites/default/.... Michelle Vosper served as the first director of the Asian Cultural Council’s (ACC) program in Hong Kong for twenty-five years (1986-2012), supporting and organizing exchanges of artists from the United States and Asia. Ms. Vosper’s career began in 1978 when she became the first assistant director of the Center for US-China Arts Exchange established at Columbia University. During the early period that followed normalization of diplomatic relations, she worked with prominent artists on programs such as Isaac Stern’s film From Mao to Mozart and Arthur Miller’s Chinese-language production of Death of a Salesman in Beijing. She also travelled frequently in China as interpreter and coordinator for cultural figures including Susan Sontag, Howard Gardner, Alwin Nikolais and Jacques d’Amboise. In 1980 Michelle co-translated Cao Yu’s play Peking Man for its New York premiere.
As China has become a global power, it has sought to build an exportable educational model that will influence international education, while at the same time supporting the interests of the Communist Party. China has simultaneously in some ways strengthened its commitment to the Western university model and embraced its emphasis on the liberal arts and sciences as a way to drive innovation and economic progress. Chinese universities serve multiple constituencies: Chinese who will work in China upon graduation; Chinese who will seek employment outside of China, particularly in Belt and Road countries; non-Chinese who may hope to stay in China to work; and non-Chinese who will leave China upon graduation. How will the universities address these competing demands? They will draw on indigenous ideas in ways that are attractive both domestically and beyond its borders. Professor Gerard Postiglione of the University of Hong Kong has been observing this effort play out in the context of China’s push to become an international leader in the Belt and Road era. On June 19, Dr. Postiglione joined the National Committee for a conversation with National Committee Senior Director for Education Programs Margot Landman about higher education in Hong Kong and on the mainland, as well as the implications of China’s campaign to become a global leader in higher education.
Gerard A. Postiglione is Chair Professor in Higher Education in the University of Hong Kong, where he was associate dean for research and director of the Wah Ching Center of Research on Chinese Education. He received the Humanities and Social Science Prestigious Fellowship Award from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Research Grants Council in 2014. He received a Lifetime Contribution Award for studies in higher education by the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) in 2015. He was inducted as a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association in 2016. His autobiography was published in Leaders in the Sociology of Education in 2016. He received a second Best Book Award from the CIES in 2017. Routledge press will publish a collection of his research works in July 2017. His other book in press is entitled The Changing Academic Profession in Hong Kong.
For nearly three decades Mao’s China closed itself to the influence of non-Marxist thought as it established a rigid command economy. When Mao died in 1976, China’s leaders embarked on a large-scale process of learning from abroad. The intellectual breadth of Chinese reformers in those early years was remarkably broad as they sought input from Nobel Prize winning economists, World Bank officials, free market fundamentalists, and an unlikely array of other partners. Many who participated in these exchanges recall it as a “golden age” of intellectual openness.
Even as China’s economic policy makers hastened to import ideas and expertise that could help them “cross the river by feeling for the stones,” the new openness did not go unchallenged. The Maoist legacy of suspicion towards the west remains powerful to this day, and the communist government is still reluctant to acknowledge fully its engagement with foreign ideas. In his new book, Unlikely Partners: Chinese Reformers, Western Economists, and the Making of Global China, historian Julian Gewirtz uncovers the real story of China’s reform project and sheds light on the partnerships that helped build the world’s second largest economy. On June 12, 2017, Mr. Gewirtz joined the National Committee for a discussion of his book, in a conversation with National Committee President Stephen Orlins.
Julian Baird Gewirtz is the author of Unlikely Partners: Chinese Reformers, Western Economists, and the Making of Global China (Harvard University Press, 2017), which The Economist called “a gripping read, highlighting what was little short of a revolution in China’s economic thought.” A Rhodes Scholar, he is currently completing his doctorate in modern Chinese history at Oxford University. He most recently worked as special advisor for international affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy and previously worked for Alibaba, Facebook, and Caijing magazine. Mr. Gewirtz has written on China for The Washington Post, the Financial Times, and Foreign Affairs. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College in 2013 and received a master’s degree in history from Oxford University in 2014.
China watchers have long predicted the imminent collapse of China’s banking system. Between increased reliance on unstable funding sources, and an expanding credit to GDP gap, experts’ concerns are not unwarranted. Yet the collapse has not happened. In China’s Banking Transformation: The Untold Story, former banking director James Stent looks at what the experts have been missing, and why their predictions have not materialized. On June 5, 2017, Mr. Stent joined National Committee President Stephen Orlins for a discussion of his book, his views on the Chinese banking sector, and what they mean for our understanding of China’s political economy overall. Challenging the mainstream consensus on China’s banking system, Mr. Stent argues Chinese banks are hybrid organizations, which simultaneously respond to shareholder interests and the demands of party-defined economic goals. Understanding how Chinese banking has transformed since the early 1990s requires looking at China’s banks in the context of how the country’s political economy works, and at the continuing influence of China’s traditional culture on its contemporary institutions. Drawing on his experience working inside two of China’s top banks, Mr. Stent examines some of the key strengths of China’s banking system, and explains the unique political and cultural factors that must be considered in assessing the success of Chinese banks.
Bio: James Stent has pursued a career in financial services in Thailand and China. Beginning in 2006, he served for six years as an independent director and chairman of the audit committee of the China Everbright Bank, followed by four years as a member of the bank’s Board of Supervisors. From 2003 to 2006 he was an independent director on the board of the China Minsheng Bank in Beijing. He is presently an independent director and chairman of the audit committee of the XacBank of Mongolia. Mr. Stent worked for 18 years in Bangkok at Bank of Asia, a Thai bank, serving as deputy president of the bank until his retirement in 2002, continuing thereafter as a director of the bank until 2004. Jim began his banking career with Citibank, working in New York, Manila, and Hong Kong. He then joined Crocker National Bank, working in San Francisco, Hong Kong and Bangkok, before moving to the Bank of Asia. In addition to his banking career, Mr. Stent also has experience in cultural heritage protection and tourism development. He is chairman of the steering committee of the Siamese Heritage Trust, and previously served as director of the Raks Thai Foundation and as a council member and honorary treasurer of the Siam Society. He also served for three years as the CEO of WildChina, a Chinese travel firm specializing in cultural and ecological tourism. Mr. Stent grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and received a bachelor’s degree in history at the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s of public affairs degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, where he focused on development economics. He speaks and reads Chinese and Thai.
In 2014, Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement grabbed international headlines, shut down the city’s largest commercial districts, and generated concern about Hong Kong’s political future. Images of city streets awash in yellow, and protesters clashing with police quickly spread around the world, and many observers believed the movement heralded significant changes to Hong Kong’s political structure. Three years after calm was restored, questions remain: what is the political mood on Hong Kong campuses? Are freedoms being gradually eroded? What is the future of One Country-Two Systems under the newly elected Chief Executive Carrie Lam?
David Zweig, a long time Hong Kong resident, and a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, has been watching the situation closely, and on May 15, 2017 he shared his insights with the National Committee in a conversation moderated by NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins. Dr. Zweig addressed a variety of issues including political resistance, academic freedom, reverse brain drain, and the current contradictions between the former British colony and Beijing.
David Zweig is chair professor for the Division of Social Science and director at the Center on China’s Transnational Relations at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is also an adjunct professor at the National University of Defense Technology’s School of Social Sciences and Humanities in Changsha (Hunan), as well as vice-president of the Center on China’s Globalization in Beijing.
Even as the China’s economic reforms in the 1980s and 90s laid the foundation for it to become an economic powerhouse, increasingly wide gaps opened up between rich and poor, leaving behind those ill equipped to compete in a market economy. The massive changes taking place were also reflected in the uneven distribution of social welfare benefits, which tended to accrue to those best positioned to succeed under the new system. In 1993, Shanghai implemented a minimum livelihood guarantee or dibao, an anti-poverty safety net. Since then, the program has expanded throughout China and is centrally regulated. Today, it serves as the country’s primary social insurance program. Even though it is the largest welfare program in the world, there has been little English-language research evaluating the effectiveness of the dibao system. In her new book, Welfare, Work, and Poverty: Social Assistance in China, Columbia University professor and expert on low-income families in China Qin Gao attempts to rectify this deficiency by answering key questions about the program’s efficacy.
Dr. Gao examines how successful the dibao system has been at alleviating poverty, as well as patterns of behavior and the sense of well-being among dibao recipients. Her work not only deepens our understanding of entitlements in China, but also adds the Chinese case as a comparative example to the growing body of literature looking at welfare systems around the world. On May 10, 2017, Dr. Gao joined the National Committee in New York City for a discussion of her book, the development and expansion of the dibao system, as well as its policy implications for China and other countries. The conversation is moderated by Professor Mark Frazier, director of the India China Institute at The New School.
Qin Gao is professor of social policy and social work at the Columbia University School of Social Work and director of the newly established China Center for Social Policy at the school. She is a faculty affiliate of the Columbia Population Research Center and Weatherhead East Asian Institute. She is also an academic board member of the China Institute for Income Distribution at Beijing Normal University, and is a Public Intellectuals Program fellow of the National Committee on United States-China Relations.
Mark W. Frazier is professor of politics at the New School for Social Research, and academic director of the India China Institute at The New School.
Author Howard French discusses his new book Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Shapes China's Push for Global Power. Until the mid-19th century, China occupied the premier place in East Asia’s political order. Exercising cultural and political hegemony through a set of tributary relationships with its neighbors, China’s imperial bureaucrats developed a conception of rule different from the Westphalian idea of individual nation states. After more than a century of political turmoil, China is once again asserting itself on the global stage, and many observers have interpreted China’s present ambitions as an attempt to restore its former glory. Combining journalistic and historical research methods, Howard French delves into the link between contemporary China and its imperial past in his new book.
Howard French is a former New York Times reporter, and an expert on China. In Everything Under the Heavens, he examines how China’s leaders understand their own history, and analyzes the ideological, philosophical, and legal implications of this intellectual heritage. He also explains what this means for U.S.-China relations going forward. Mr. French joined the National Committee in New York City on May 2 to discuss his book and strategies for engaging a resurgent China with Senior Director for Education Programs Margot Landman.
Howard French is an associate professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. He is a former reporter for The Washington Post and former bureau chief for The New York Times in Central America and the Caribbean, West and Central Africa, Japan, and China. He is the recipient of two Overseas Press Club awards and a two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee. He is the author of A Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa and China’s Second Continent: How a Million Migrants Are Building a New Empire in Africa. He has written for The Atlantic, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Magazine, and Rolling Stone, among other national publications.
In March 2011, China’s spending on internal security surpassed the budget for external defense for the first time. This was widely interpreted as evidence that China’s internal security apparatus – long seen as a highly repressive pillar of Communist Party rule – was tightening its control. In an upcoming piece for the China Quarterly, political scientist, China expert, and National Committee Public Intellectuals Program fellow Sheena Greitens challenges this understanding by contextualizing China’s security spending historically, and evaluating it against the magnitude of the threats it must address. Looking at a period of two decades, Dr. Greitens argues that China’s domestic security spending is more limited than most policy analysis suggests, and actually implies a weaker coercive capacity than is usually presumed. On April 26, Dr. Greitens joined National Committee President Stephen Orlins for a discussion of her current research, China’s domestic security budget, and its connection to developments in internal security under Xi Jinping.
Sheena Greitens is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Missouri. She is also a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for East Asian Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, and an associate in research at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University. Dr. Greitens holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University; an M.Phil from Oxford University, where she studied as a Marshall Scholar; and a B.A. from Stanford University. Her research focuses on East Asia, security studies, and the politics of democracy and dictatorship. Her first book, Dictators and their Secret Police: Coercive Institutions and State Violence, was published in 2016 by Cambridge University Press.