NCUSCR Events

What does the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover mean for the people of Hong Kong, the PRC, and the world? Much has changed since 1997, when sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred from Great Britain to China. Through the lenses of language, politics, and identity, three leading experts discuss the relationship between Hong Kong and Mainland China, how it has evolved over the past 25 years, and what these dynamics tell us about Hong Kong today.

The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations held an event on June 20, 2022 with panelists Kris Cheng, Pierre Landry, and Gina Tam discussing the past, present, and future of Hong Kong.

The global electric vehicle (EV) industry has experienced enormous growth in recent years. The United States and China recognize that EVs are key to a carbon neutral future, yet a complex network of supply chains, differing government regulations, and disparate consumer acceptance pose challenges to this great opportunity. How will the United States and China scale up the infrastructure needed for EVs? Where can they cooperate in setting international EV standards? How can they work together to address key cybersecurity and battery technology concerns?

The National Committee held a virtual program on June 7, 2022 with John Paul MacDuffie and Ilaria Mazzocco, moderated by Scott Kennedy, wherein they discussed the implications of a growing global EV market on U.S.-China relations.

The National Committee held its annual members program on May 24, 2022 featuring four National Committee directors, Paul Haenle, Ben Harburg, Elizabeth Knup, and Nancy Yao, who considered the past, present, and future of the bilateral relationship from the perspectives of business, think tanks, foundations, and cultural institutions.

After more than two decades of hostility, Ping Pong Diplomacy began a shift in the U.S.-China relationship towards exchange and engagement. In 1972, engagement was far from inevitable and, just as in 2022, anything but easy, with detractors on both sides.

The National Committee hosted a virtual program on April 18, 2022 with Pete Millwood and Jing Tsu as they reflected on the 50th anniversary of the Chinese ping pong team’s historic visit to the United States and its continued relevance to the U.S.-China relationship today, in a conversation moderated by Keisha Brown.

Beethoven in Beijing, a feature-length documentary, spotlights the explosive growth of classical music in China since the 1973 tour of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the first American orchestra to perform in the People’s Republic. At the invitation of U.S. President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, the orchestra used music to help dismantle 25 years of isolation between the two countries. Today, China is energizing the world of classical music with legions of young musicians, glittering new concert halls, and a lineup of superstar performers and composers. 

The National Committee hosted a virtual program on April 7 with Chen Jie, Jennifer Lin, Sheila Melvin, and Booker Rowe as they discussed their experiences in musical exchange to date and prospects for the future.

In the context of EU-Russia tensions and attention on security within Europe, what is the possibility of future trans-Atlantic cooperation on China and in the broader Indo-Pacific region?

In an interview conducted on April 13, 2022, Ivana Karásková, a China and international relations scholar in Prague, discusses recent developments in EU-China relations and implications for the Sino-American bilateral relationship in a conversation with Matt Ferchen.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Shanghai Communiqué, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, the National Committee on United States-China Relations, and the Committee of 100 welcomed members to attend a half-day forum held on February 24, 2022.

Prominent representatives of the diplomatic, business, and academic communities will examine how people-to-people relations, economic cooperation, and diplomatic interactions have influenced the Sino-American relationship and how bi-lateral relations might evolve in the coming 50 years.

With a strict zero-Covid policy and surge in export growth, China’s economy grew an impressive eight percent in 2021, yet uncertainty looms on the horizon. Nomura and Goldman Sachs both anticipate that China’s annual GDP growth will fall to 4.3 percent in 2022; some estimates are even lower. Both the promise of continued export growth and the threat of surging inflation raise critical questions in a very important political year for China. What are some potential obstacles Beijing could face with an economic slowdown? How will tariffs, trade imbalances, and geopolitics affect China’s economic prospects?

The National Committee, in partnership with Peking University’s National School of Development (NSD), held a virtual program on March 2, 2022 with Dr. Hu Yifan and Dr. Huang Yiping to provide a forecast of China’s economy in the coming year.

Following years of trade frictions that have cost American jobs and lowered U.S. GDP, calls have increased for the Biden administration and Congress to strengthen the U.S. government's strategies and tools that address the "China challenge" and ensure ongoing American global leadership.

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (D-WA), co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional U.S.-China Working Group, has endeavored to answer this call, with an updated China White Paper offering a blueprint to enhance U.S. competitiveness vis-à-vis China and the world. The paper includes proposals for Congress and the Administration to recognize areas of bilateral conflict and competition, implement both offensive and defensive measures to compete with China, identify areas where bilateral cooperation serves both nations' interests, and take measures to strengthen American global competitiveness.

The National Committee held a virtual program on February 9, 2022 with Rep. Larsen to discuss his framework with NCUSCR President Steve Orlins and answer audience questions.

U.S.-China competition continues to re-shape the way the global economy is governed. After a significant overhaul of foreign investment screening regimes in the United States (e.g., FIRRMA) and globally, there is now legislation circulating the halls of Congress that would initiate additional screening for U.S. outbound investment to China and other countries of concern. Such legislation faces opposition from some industry groups, yet there appears to be support on the Hill and in the White House for tools that would increase control over U.S. critical supply chains and technology transfer.

On January 26, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Rhodium partner and lead author of the latest U.S.-China Investment Project report Thilo Hanemann, along with Giovanna Cinelli, Nargiza Salidjanova, and Eric Zheng, each with deep experience in investment law, Congress, and U.S.-China business, respectively. The panelists contextualized the genesis of D.C.’s greater scrutiny on U.S. outbound investment and explored far-reaching implications of potential outbound investment restrictions.

How did the poor, isolated People’s Republic of China become the factory to the world? Shelley Rigger argues that the origins lie in Taiwan. In her new book, The Tiger Leading the Dragon, she describes the evolution of Taiwan’s influence from the period when Deng Xiaoping lifted Mao’s prohibitions on business in the late 1970s, allowing investors from Taiwan to collaborate with local officials in the PRC to transform mainland China into a manufacturing powerhouse. In the late 1980s, Taiwanese business owners lowered production costs by moving across the Strait, as China sought external investment to fuel its industrial rise. The book also explores Taiwan’s contributions to Chinese consumer behavior, philanthropy, religion, popular culture, and law.

The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations held an event on October 26, 2021 with Shelley Rigger to discuss her new book.

CNN host and best-selling author Fareed Zakaria was the featured speaker for CHINA Town Hall 2021, a national conversation on how the U.S.-China relationship affects our cities, towns, and 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.

On October 19, 2021, the National Committee held a nationwide virtual event, including Q&A with one of America's leading foreign policy commentators. He examined the challenges and opportunities for both countries as they confront the most critical issues of the 21st century.

In recent years, the U.S.-China relationship has deteriorated rapidly. Engaging China: Fifty Years of Sino-American Relations brings together leading China specialists to reflect on relations between the two countries over the last half-century and consider what might lie ahead. The contributors – academics, nongovernmental organization leaders, and former diplomats and government officials – analyze the relationship from a wide range of perspectives: political, diplomatic, economic, social, cultural, commercial, educational, medical, and military. They explore not only the accomplishments and successes of engagement but also the mistakes and misunderstandings, acknowledging the distrust and frictions that surround the relationship today.

On September 29, 2021 the National Committee held a virtual program with several contributors to and the editor of the volume, Mary Brown Bullock, David M. Lampton, and Anne F. Thurston, and they discussed 50 years of Sino-U.S. relations with moderator Tashi Rabgey.

American rhetoric about Chinese students in the United States is growing increasingly hostile, causing some to re-think their overseas study plans. Some claim that Chinese students pose a national security risk; while a few may, it is important to recognize that the vast majority of Chinese students, pursuing studies in a wide range of fields, add greatly to U.S. campuses, local economies, and the country as a whole. On September 20, 2021 the National Committee hosted a virtual program with current Harvard Law School and former Columbia School of Social Work student Qianfeng Lin; professor of sociology at Syracuse University, Yingyi Ma (herself a former graduate student in the United States); and former U.S. high school exchange and university student, Nicky Shuwo Zhou, as they discussed the experiences of Chinese students studying in the United States and their thoughts about such students in the future.tw

U.S.-China relations are arguably at their worst point since diplomatic recognition in 1979, and may be getting worse. In this environment, American researchers organized by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy and the American Friends Service Committee undertook a systematic audit of the U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue (S&ED) to see what benefits were expected from bilateral diplomacy in the past and whether those benefits were realized.

The report that emerged reveals that the United States benefited significantly from the S&ED process. Major areas of progress include stabilizing the international financial system after the global financial crisis, working through regulatory and technical issues culminating in the Paris Agreement, and jointly responding to the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

On September 13, 2021 the National Committee on American Foreign Policy and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations hosted a virtual program where Tiffany Barron, Rorry Daniels, Dan Jasper, and Susan Thornton discussed the successes and challenges of the S&ED process.

Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, five men have principally shaped the ruling Chinese Communist Party and the nation: Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping. During their decades of leadership, China, starting from a base of poverty and insularity, became a world power. In his latest book, China’s Leaders: From Mao to Now, David Shambaugh analyzes China’s contemporary history by studying the personal and professional experiences that shaped each leader.

On September 9, 2021 the National Committee hosted a virtual program with David Shambaugh where he discussed his new book.

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.

What is happening across the Taiwan Strait? In March, Admiral Philip Davidson, then commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific (INDOPACOM), said in a hearing before Congress that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could take place within six years. His successor, Admiral John Aquilino, agreed that such an attack could occur sooner “than most think.” More recently, however, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Mark Milley, testified that he believes that China has little intention to take Taiwan by force, and that the capability to do so remains a goal rather than a reality. On July 19, 2021, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Lyle Goldstein and Oriana Skylar Mastro to discuss China/Taiwan/U.S. military relations. NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins moderated and NCUSCR Director Admiral Dennis Blair offered commentary.

At the sixth month mark, the Biden administration’s China policy differs only slightly from that of the previous administration. Relatively easy policy initiatives that could have benefited the American people seem to be on hold. The Senate has passed the Strategic Competition Act of 2021 which, if it becomes law as written, will restrict how the Executive Branch can deal with China.

On July 22, 2021, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with National Committee President Stephen Orlins in conversation with NYU’s U.S.-Asia Law Institute Founder and Faculty Director Emeritus Jerome Cohen. Mr. Orlins spoke in his personal capacity.

Both the United States and China are seeing a rapid rebound from the economic damage brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Bank’s recent report forecasts GDP growth of 8.5 percent in 2021 for China, leading the world’s economic recovery. Does this bullish outlook accurately reflect the reality of China’s economic development in the second half of 2021 and beyond? What are potential obstacles Beijing could face from challenging issues such as weak domestic consumption, trade imbalances, and income inequality?

On July 15, 2021, the National Committee, in partnership with Peking University’s National School of Development (NSD), held a virtual program with Dr. Liang Hong and Dr. Xu Gao to forecast China’s economy for the second half of 2021 and beyond.

On July 8, 2021, The Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), with assistance from the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, organized a multi-part event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Henry Kissinger’s secret trip to China. The event took place at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guest House and featured live remarks by Dr. Kissinger and Vice President Wang Qishan. This video is an abridged version of the commemorative event, and includes the following components:

Keynote | Dr. Kissinger and Vice President Wang Qishan reflect on the significance of the July 1971 visit

Panel 1 | Eye Witnesses to History: Participants from the 1971 Kissinger secret trip and 1972 Nixon visit discuss the visit itself and its historical importance

- Chinese Panelists: Ambassador Lian Zhengbao and Ms. Nancy Tang

- American Panelists: Ambassadors Winston Lord and Chas Freeman

- Moderator: Ms. Jan Berris

Approximately 20 to 33 percent of global trade passes through the South China Sea, and many of its land features are in dispute. In the last decade, tensions have escalated as China has grown increasingly assertive. Many in the international community perceive China to be violating international norms after it passed legislation this year allowing the China Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels. What policies will the Biden administration adopt toward the region? Will tensions escalate? If so, what would be the impact on the economics and security of the region? What innovative policies could ease tensions and promote cooperation instead of confrontation?

On June 29, 2021, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Prof. Richard J. Heydarian, Dr. Isaac B. Kardon, and Dr. Yan Yan, as they discussed recent developments in the South China Sea and areas for cooperation.

The July 2021 centennial of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be an important milestone in China, accompanied by media fanfare and celebration. As the Party promotes the story of its successes and accomplishments to its people and the world, what does it choose to minimize or ignore? Through the lenses of museums, traditional and new media, and political education in schools, we examined how China projects its image in a rapidly shifting global landscape. On June 24, 2021, the National Committee hosted a virtual discussion with Denise Ho, Karrie Koesel, and Maria Repnikova as they explored how the Chinese Communist Party shapes and projects its identity to its own people and beyond.

Cheng Li’s Middle Class Shanghai argues that American policymakers should pay attention to the dynamism and diversity in contemporary China. Its developing class structure and cosmopolitan culture, exemplified and led by Shanghai, could reshape U.S.-China engagement. Both countries should build on the deep cultural and educational exchanges that have bound them together for more than forty years. On June 17, 2021, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Cheng Li as he discussed China’s middle class and the constructive impact of exchanges between China and the United States.

Small and medium-sized enterprises have provided crucial ballast to the U.S.-China bilateral relationship for decades. While the Biden administration’s “foreign policy for the middle class” is a departure in tone from President Trump’s “America First” rhetoric, we have not yet seen substantive changes in China trade policy. With tariffs remaining in place and the path forward for SMEs uncertain, what does the future hold?

On June 10, 2021, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, in partnership with the World Trade Centers Association hosted a webinar with Amy Celico of Albright Stonebridge, and Gary Biehn, Ron Bracalente, and Linda Mysliwy Conlin of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, as they discussed the prospects for U.S.-China economic and trade relations.

On May 21, 2021, the National Commitee hosted a virtual program with Mary Gallagher, Margaret Lewis, and Rory Truex, in conversation with Jacques deLisle, as they discussed these issues and what lies ahead in Sino-American academic relations.

This program was held in partnership with the Penn Project on the Future of US-China Relations, sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Contemporary China.

On May 19, 2021 the National Committee held a virtual program with report author Thilo Hanemann (Rhodium Group), Anna Ashton (US-China Business Council), and Timothy Stratford (Covington & Burling LLP Beijing) for the annual Two-Way Street report launch and discussion of the latest two-way investment data and analysis.

In recent years, smart city technology has become increasingly present in our lives. New developments in 5G, AI, and the Internet of Things allow municipalities to collect and share data, improving management and services, while raising questions about privacy and security.  

On May 10, 2021, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Ms. Zhengzhen Tan and Ms. Sarah Tatsis, as they discussed smart cities and areas for potential cooperation in a conversation moderated by urban planning expert Dr. Weiping Wu.

According to a recent report published by the Council on Foreign Relations, "China’s Belt and Road: Implications for the United States," the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), President Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy undertaking and the world’s largest infrastructure program, poses a significant challenge to U.S. economic, political, climate change, security, and global health interests. The United States has a clear interest in adopting a strategy that both pressures China to alter its BRI practices and provides an effective alternative.

On May 4, 2021, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with report co-chairs Jacob Lew and Gary Roughead and co-authors Jennifer Hillman and David Sacks, as they discussed recommendations for an effective United States response to BRI.

On April 30, 2021, the National Committee held a virtual program with Robert Blackwill (Council on Foreign Relations) and Philip Zelikow (University of Virginia), moderated by leading Taiwan authority Shelley Rigger (Davidson College), to discuss U.S. policy options for a productive relationship with Taiwan.

On April 28, 2021, the National Committee hosted a virtual celebration of the 50th anniversary of ping pong diplomacy. Ms. Jan Berris, vice president of the National Committee who accompanied the Chinese ping pong delegation on its travels; Ms. Judy Hoarfrost, a former United States table tennis champion who visited China with the U.S. team; and Dr. Doug Spelman, a retired foreign service officer and academic who served as an interpreter for the Chinese team discussed ping pong diplomacy – how it came to be, its historical and political context, and its significance then and now. The conversation was moderated by Mr. Alex DeAngelis, a staff member at the Committee on Scholarly Communication with the People’s Republic of China for much of the 1970s, who then moved to the National Science Foundation, based in Washington and Beijing.

On April 22, 2021, the National Committee held a virtual program with Angel Hsu, Jonas Nahm, and Alex Wang to discuss the future of U.S.-China climate cooperation in a conversation moderated by China energy expert Joanna Lewis. The program was held in partnership with the Penn Project on the Future of US-China Relations, which is sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Contemporary China.

In his new book, "Stronger: Adapting America’s China Strategy in an Era of Competitive Interdependence," Ryan Hass examines the relative advantages of the United States as he considers U.S.-China relations. On April 19, 2021, the National Committee held a virtual program with Ryan Hass of the Brookings Institution, in which he provided an analysis of how the United States might productively approach its relationship with China.

While violence toward Asian Americans has always existed in the United States, the community has faced racist violence and hate crimes at a much higher rate over the last year. Between March 2020 and February 2021, Stop AAPI Hate reported 3,795 hate incidents nationwide. Experts argue this phenomenon has been fueled by Sinophobia, anti-China foreign policy, and xenophobic political rhetoric unleashed during the Covid-19 pandemic. On April 12, 2021, the National Committee held a virtual two-part program in which Jessica J. Lee and Ian Shin discussed the impact of anti-China political rhetoric on the current domestic U.S. climate, and Congresswoman Judy Chu addressed anti-Asian racism through legislative change. Learn more about anti-Asian racism in the United States, and what you can do to help: https://www.ncuscr.org/anti-racism

In recent years, autonomous vehicles (AV) have moved from the world of science fiction to reality. While fully self-driving cars may be a decade or two away, robotaxis and driverless buses are already here. The advent of AVs offers enormous opportunities, but will also bring great disruption to the overall transportation market. China and the United States are both moving rapidly to take advantage of these exciting changes. What are the major innovations we will see over the next ten years? How can U.S. and Chinese corporations collaborate in this growing market? And how can our two governments, at the local and national levels, handle the challenges AVs present?

On March 22, 2021, the National Committee held a virtual program with Mr. John Wall, Mr. Michael Yuan, and Ms. Karlyn Stanley to discuss the state of autonomous vehicle development and regulation in the United States and China.

Leland Miller of China Beige Book discussed the current state of China's economy, based on fresh data from the world's largest private in-country data collection network tracking the Chinese marketplace. The data are gathered from thousands of firms throughout China across various sectors and industries. What does the state of the Chinese economy suggest for effective U.S. policy? What should the United States be looking at as it considers China’s growth, labor, inflation, credit, and banking, among other factors? How should economic policy fit into the larger bilateral relationship? Where is the Biden administration likely to take policy next?

The National Committee held an event on March 25, 2021 with Mr. Leland Miller, where he explored the latest developments in China’s economy and their impact on the Sino-American relationship and Biden administration policy.

On March 9, 2021, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Mr. Winston Ma, where he explored how China’s innovation ecosystem drives next generation unicorns and its young netizens participate in the evolving digital economy, and what emerging markets can learn from China as they dive headlong into the mobile-first economy.

Winston Ma, most recently managing director and head of the North America office of China Investment Corporation (CIC), is the author of, The Digital War: How China’s Tech Power Shapes the Future of AI, Blockchain, and Cyberspace.

The National Committee held a virtual program on February 24, 2021 with Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown and Mr. Ben Westhoff, moderated by Ms. Emily Feng, who discussed the current status of the opioid epidemic, bilateral efforts to curb the supply of fentanyl in the United States, and the prospects for progress moving forward.

In a belated celebration of his 90th birthday and his extraordinary contributions to the development of law in China and U.S.-China relations, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations hosted a virtual discussion with America’s leading expert on Chinese law, Jerome A. Cohen, on February 16, 2021. Professor Cohen conversed with his former student, Steve Orlins, who is now president of the National Committee, about his experiences over the last sixty years of studying Chinese law, government, and society. Topics included living in China, prospects for the future of law in China, and directions in Sino-American relations.

The National Committee held a virtual program on February 10, 2021 with Dr. Graham Allison, Dr. Thomas Gold, Ms. Melinda Liu, and Dr. Michael Szonyi to celebrate and remember teacher/mentor/public servant/friend Professor Ezra Vogel.

The National Committee, in partnership with Peking University’s National School of Development (NSD), held a virtual program on February 2, 2021 with Dr. Hu Yifan, Dr. Huang Yiping, and Dr. Yao Yang to forecast China’s economy in the coming year. The panel was moderated by NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins. Topics included: China’s growth trajectory in 2021 and beyond, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Chinese and global markets, progress and challenges in structural reform, expected reforms in China in 2021, developments and challenges in the private sector, cross-border capital flows, and U.S.-China trade frictions.

The National Committee held a virtual event on January 26, 2021 where Rhodium Group’s Daniel Rosen and Adam Lysenko rolled out the latest addition to the Two-Way Street report series to increase the transparency of this portfolio investment discussion. In a conversation moderated by National Committee President Stephen Orlins, Rosen and Lysenko were joined by KPMG Chief Economist Constance Hunter and BlackRock Senior Managing Director Mark Wiedman to discuss the report's implications.

Environmental degradation in China has not only brought about a wider range of diseases and other health consequences than previously understood, but has also taken a heavy toll on China’s society, economy, and the legitimacy of the party-state. In Toxic Politics: China’s Environmental Health Crisis and Its Challenge to the Chinese State, Yanzhong Huang presents evidence of China's deepening health crisis and challenges the widespread view that China is winning its war on pollution. Although there has been some progress, policy enforcement measures have not substantially reduced pollution or improved public health. Dr. Huang argues that the failures lie in the institutional structure of the Chinese party-state, with conflicting incentives for officials and limited capacity of the state to deliver public goods. Toxic Politics describes a political system that is remarkably resilient but fundamentally flawed, and the implications for China's future, domestically and internationally.

On January 11, 2021, the National Committee held a virtual program with Dr. Yanzhong Huang to discuss the capacity of the Chinese party state to address its serious environmental and public health challenges.

China’s President Xi Jinping is committed to two primary military ambitions: he wants China to become a great maritime power by 2035 and a world-class armed force by 2050. In China as a Twenty First Century Naval Power, retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt focuses on China's navy and its recent and continuing transformation into a formidable force.

Mr. McDevitt begins the book by exploring the strategic rationale behind President Xi's objectives. He then examines the PLA Navy's role in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, and concludes with a forecast of what President Xi's vision of a "world-class navy" might look like in the next fifteen years as the 2035 deadline approaches.

On December 22, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual program with Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt, USN (retired), where he described the development of China’s navy, implications for the U.S. military and policy-makers more broadly.

In mid-November 2020, China’s National People’s Congress passed a resolution allowing Hong Kong authorities to expel legislators deemed a threat to national security or failing to pledge allegiance to Hong Kong without having to go through the judicial system. Shortly thereafter, the Hong Kong government disqualified four pro-democracy legislators. Reaction within and outside of Hong Kong was swift: fellow pan-democrat Legislative Council (LegCo) members resigned in protest; the U.S. national security advisor said that the Chinese Communist Party had “flagrantly violated its international commitments” while the British foreign minister saw the expulsions as an assault on Hong Kong’s freedoms. By contrast, Chief Executive Carrie Lam proclaimed the dismissals both necessary and legal. In early December, protesters were sentenced to prison for activities during the 2019 demonstrations.  What do the most recent developments tell us about “One Country, Two Systems”? About the strength of Hong Kong’s judiciary? What changes in U.S. policy may emerge from the new Biden administration when it takes over next month?

On December 17, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual program with Ambassador Kurt Tong and Ms. Christine Loh to discuss the latest developments in Hong Kong and implications for U.S.-Hong Kong and U.S.-China relations.

In China’s Fintech Explosion, Sara 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.

National politics have grabbed the headlines over the last few months; less publicized are the challenges taking place at the local levels. Nine former Governors gathered this fall to discuss the toll a deteriorating U.S.-China relationship has had on their states.

 On December 7, 2020, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and the U.S. Heartland China Association (USHCA) invited former governor and current chairman and CEO of USHCA Bob Holden (Missouri, D, 2001-2005), along with former governors Jon Huntsman, Jr. (Utah, R, 2005-2011), Gary Locke (Washington, D, 1997-2005), and Rick Snyder (Michigan, R, 2011-2019) to discuss the consequences of bilateral tensions in each of their respective states and how revitalizing subnational relationships and cooperation can help pave a path forward.

Renowned China scholar David Shambaugh describes the broad-gauged and global competition for power, especially in Asia, underway between the United States and China in his new book, Where Great Powers Meet. Concentrating on Southeast Asia, Professor Shambaugh notes that the two countries constantly vie for position and influence across this highly significant area; the outcome of the contest may determine whether Asia leaves the American orbit after seventy years and falls into a Chinese sphere of influence. 

On December 1, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual program with Professor David Shambaugh as he looks at the geopolitical future of Southeast Asia amidst the possibility of renewed great power competition in the region.

About CHINA Town Hall: ncuscr.org/CTH. 

 Confronting the global challenges of climate change and communicable disease cannot be achieved by any single country, but must be met by constructive cooperation among nations. Although the United States and China will compete in many areas, it is imperative they join forces to face these universal problems that affect global stability and endanger the world's most vulnerable people. 

 On November 18, 2020, the National Committee held a discussion with Margaret Hamburg (National Academy of Medicine), Ryan Hass (Brookings Institution), and Angel Hsu (Yale-NUS) to consider the roles of the United States and China in addressing these two major transnational issues. The conversation was moderated by Merit Janow (Columbia School of International and Public Affairs).

About CHINA Town Hall: www.ncuscr.org/CTH. 

 Robust bilateral economic and trade ties have been the greatest source of strength and foundation for engagement in the U.S.-China relationship for decades. Yet in recent years those ties have been frayed by an ongoing trade war, the threat of decoupling, and a global economic and public health crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 The National Committee held a conversation on November 17, 2020 with Amy Celico (Albright Stonebridge Group), Huang Yiping (Peking University), and Andy Rothman (Matthews Asia), moderated by NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, to discuss the current trade tensions, prospects for economic growth during and after COVID-19, and the future of U.S.-China economic ties.

Learn more at ncuscr.org/CTH. 

 Starting with ping-pong diplomacy in 1971, cultural diplomacy has played a pivotal role in facilitating mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and China. This event will gather leading cultural figures to discuss how, despite sometimes turbulent political and economic relations, food and film continue to reveal our shared humanity and connect us through culture. 

 On November 12, 2020, the National Committee held a discussion with Raymond Chang (Major League Baseball China), Lucas Sin (Junzi Kitchen), and Janet Yang (Janet Yang Productions) on the importance, challenges, and future of cross-cultural learning between the United States and China. NCUSCR Public Intellectuals Program fellow Alison Friedman (Performing Arts of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority) moderated the event.

Sign up for more CHINA Town Hall 2020 events: http://www.ncuscr.org/CTH  

Renowned investor, philanthropist, and best-selling author Ray Dalio discusses today's most important issues, and the critical roles the United States and China play in an era of rapid global change, at the 14th annual CHINA Town Hall Keynote on Tuesday, November 10, 2020. Ray Dalio and his family have been deeply involved in business and philanthropic efforts in China for 35 years. He is the author of the best-selling "Principles: Life and Work" and "The Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail," which will be released this winter.

As its glittering urban skylines attest, China has apparently quickly transformed itself from a place of stark poverty into a modern, urban, technologically savvy economic powerhouse. Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell show in Invisible China, however, that the truth is much more complicated and perhaps deeply concerning.

China’s growth has relied heavily on unskilled labor. Most of the workers who have fueled the country’s rise come from rural villages and have never attended high school. The unskilled wage rate has been rising for more than a decade, inducing companies inside China to automate at an unprecedented rate and triggering an exodus of those seeking cheaper labor elsewhere.

Drawing on extensive surveys on the ground in China, Dr. Rozelle and Ms. Hell demonstrate that its labor force has one of the lowest levels of education of any country with a similarly large economy. The limited education of so many workers may leave them unable to find work in the formal workplace as China’s economy changes and manufacturing jobs move elsewhere. In Invisible China, the authors speak not only to an urgent humanitarian concern but also to a potential economic crisis that could upend economies and foreign relations around the globe.

On November 2, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Professor Scott Rozelle and commentator Dr. Qin Gao.

In August 2020, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II visited Taiwan, the highest level American cabinet officer to do so since the establishment of diplomatic relations with the PRC. A month later Under Secretary of State Keith Krach followed, representing the U.S. government at former President Lee Teng-hui’s funeral. What do these high-level visits suggest about the Trump administration’s policies toward Taiwan and the PRC, and about cross-strait relations?

The National Committee held a virtual program with Professors Margaret K. Lewis and Shelley Rigger on October 27.

How does the rise of China alter the context in which U.S. policy should be assessed? In China from a U.S. Policy Perspective, Professor Eric Heikkila divides policy into three broad areas: economics, sustainability, and geopolitics. In each one, he analyzes key policy issues, demonstrating how a growing China exerts pressure on American policy, not explicitly through lobbying or negotiation, but implicitly through the reality it creates. Dr. Heikkila argues that at a time of increasing bilateral tensions, it is critical for American policymakers to focus on the many policy questions affected by China’s rise.

The National Committee held a virtual program on October 26, 2020 with Professor Eric Heikkila.

At a meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum in 2010, the Chinese foreign minister, angered by a question about the South China Sea dispute, declared: “China is a big country and other countries are small countries, and that is just a fact.” The authors whose essays are collected in The Deer and the Dragon examine the nature, dynamics, and implications of that fact – and the inequality that has resulted between China and the countries of Southeast Asia.

What does the history of Sino-Southeast Asian relations tell us about future possibilities? Do economic relations already suggest dependence? How do the countries of Southeast Asia view China and its intentions, and how does China see the region? What is the role of ASEAN?  How does U.S. policy affect the relative influence of China and the United States in Southeast Asia? 

The National Committee held a virtual program with Dr. Donald Emmerson featuring commentary from Dr. Ann Marie Murphy on October 22, 2020. Stanford University’s Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and the New York Southeast Asia Network co-sponsored the event.

Tensions between the United States and China regarding the South China Sea are rising along with the recent broader breakdown of bilateral relations. The legitimacy of historical rights claims, entitlements and rights of other claimant states such as the Philippines and Vietnam, and the boundaries of freedom of navigation operations are among the central issues. Despite their differences, both the United States and China wish to avoid conflict and uphold professionalism at sea.

Is there any significant space for cooperation in South China Sea interactions beyond military engagement, including biodiversity protection and Coast Guard activities? What role do maritime and international law play in the rapidly evolving bilateral relationship? How is China likely to respond to the upcoming U.S. election in its maneuvers in the South China Sea?

On October 20, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual program featuring Peter Dutton, M. Taylor Fravel, Tabitha Mallory, Wu Shicun, and Zhu Feng. The five experts discussed the challenging bilateral issues, and provided their assessments of South China Sea development including maritime engagement of China and other claimants and its impact on South China Sea development, mechanisms for U.S.-China maritime military conflict management, and the role of the United States and China in rulemaking and building security protocols.

In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the One Belt One Road policy, later known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global development strategy involving infrastructure projects and associated financing around the world. While the Chinese government frames the plan as one promoting transnational connectivity, critics see it as part of a strategy to achieve global dominance. 

Rivers of Iron examines one aspect of the BRI: China’s effort to create an inter-country railway system connecting China and its seven Southeast Asian neighbors (Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). The book explores the political strengths and weaknesses of the plan, as well as the capacity of the countries involved to resist, shape, and perhaps take advantage of China’s actions. The authors seek to explain how domestic politics in the eight Asian nations shape their varying responses and behaviors. How does China wield power using infrastructure? Do smaller states have agency? How should we understand the role of infrastructure in broader development? Does industrial policy work? How should other global powers respond? 

The National Committee held a virtual program on October 14, 2020 with Professor David M. Lampton.

Recent border disputes between China and India began in April, escalating to a deadly clash on June 15. Indian authorities reported that 20 troops died in the hand-to-hand combat using clubs and rocks; the Chinese side has not released casualty information. In August, India accused China of provoking military tensions; China claimed that the stand-off was entirely India’s fault. The following month, China accused India of firing shots at its troops; India in turn accused China of firing shots in the air. If the allegations are true, it would be the first time that shots had been fired in 45 years.

There have been 17 rounds of talks since June, including a meeting of the two countries’ defense and foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Moscow in September. What is behind the tensions along the 2,100-mile border some 21,000 feet above sea level in the rugged Himalayas? How likely is a resolution before the harsh winter arrives in a few weeks? What are the implications for China, India, and the United States?

On October 9, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual program with Ambassador Nirupana Rao, Dr. Arunabh Ghosh, and Dr. Shen Dingli.

China and the United States are the world powers of the 21st century. With many differences in political philosophy and diplomatic methods, they approach each other warily and communicate poorly. In Has China Won?: The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy, Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani, a former Singaporean diplomat and prolific scholar with access to policymakers in Beijing and Washington, has written a guide to the deep fault lines in the relationship, an assessment of the risks of confrontation, and an appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses, and superpower eccentricities, of the United States and China.

The National Committee held a virtual program on October 5, 2020 with Professor Kishore Mahbubani.

How has China grown so fast for so long despite extensive corruption? In China's Gilded Age, Yuen Yuen Ang argues that although all corruption is harmful, it does not always hurt growth. Different forms of corruption have disparate impact; certain types actually stimulate investment and development while simultaneously posing serious risks for economic and political systems. Using a range of sources, Dr. Ang explains the evolution of Chinese corruption, how it differs from that of the West and other developing countries, and how President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign could affect growth and governance.

On September 30, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Professor Yuen Yuen Ang.

Dori Jones Yang was among the first American correspondents to cover China at the beginning of the reform era. Her memoir, When the Red Gates Opened, follows her rise from rookie reporter to experienced journalist. Her cross-cultural romance gave her deeper insights into how Deng Xiaoping’s reforms led to hopes for better lives. This sense of possibility reached its peak in 1989, when peaceful protesters filled Tiananmen Square, demanding democracy, among other things. On the ground in Beijing, Ms. Yang shared that hope, as well as the despair that followed. After Tiananmen, she returned to the United States, continuing to watch closely as China’s growth resumed.

The National Committee held a virtual program with author Ms. Dori Jones Yang on September 23, 2020 to discuss her book.

At a time when prominent voices in the U.S. foreign policy community – from both sides of the aisle – are calling upon the United States to take a new approach towards China, many are putting forward new ideas to define what a "new era" would look like. An increasingly timely discussion has revolved around making more direct connections between gender equality and national security – a "Feminist Foreign Policy."

On September 18, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual Congressional staff briefing with Stephenie Foster, Sarah Kemp, and Wenchi Yu, about feminist foreign policy and what its implementation could mean for the evolving U.S.-China relationship.

On September 17, 2020, Rhodium Group’s founding partner Daniel Rosen and its "Two-Way Street" report authors Thilo Hanemann and Adam Lysenko joined National Committee President Stephen Orlins to discuss their latest report, a mid-year review of the latest trends in U.S.-China investment and an analysis of the political dynamics and market developments behind them.

Read the new mid-year report on ncuscr.org

Starting with Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson, and concluding with Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan, and James Baker, with comments on the foreign policies of Presidents Trump and Obama, in /America in the World/ Robert Zoellick tells the story of U.S. diplomacy.

The National Committee held a virtual program on September 15, 2020 with Ambassador Robert Zoellick in conversation with Financial Times editor and correspondent Lionel Barber. The event was hosted by National Committee Vice Chair Evan Greenberg and National Committee President Stephen Orlins.

Just as world maps look different depending on where they are produced, so narratives of world history vary according to who is telling the story. In /Superpower Interrupted/, Michael Schuman describes how the Chinese view their own and world history and how those perceptions shape China's economic policy, attitudes toward the world, relations with its neighbors, positions on democracy and human rights, and notions of good governance. The National Committee held a virtual program with author Michael Schuman on September 10, 2020.

China faces major demographic, economic, social, political, and foreign policy challenges. The experts whose analyses make up Fateful Decisions examine the choices facing China’s leaders. President Xi Jinping has laid out ambitious goals with little in the way of detailed policy to explain how they will be achieved. A s China’s economy slows and population ages, the demand for and costs of health care, elder care, education, and other social benefits are increasing. At the same time, global ambitions and an increasingly assertive military compete for funding and attention. The contributors to the volume examine what is at stake, possible options, and resulting outcomes. The National Committee held a virtual program with Dr. Thomas Fingar and Dr. Jean Oi on August 20, 2020 to discuss their edited volume, Fateful Decisions: Choices that Will Shape China’s Future.

On August 17, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with retired American diplomats Susan Thornton and Beatrice Camp to discuss the place of diplomacy in U.S. policy toward China and beyond.

Paul Pickowicz, long a professor of Chinese history at the University of California, San Diego, was among the first Americans to go to China after the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949. He kept a detailed journal and took nearly a thousand photographs during his four-week stay, some of which are collected in A Sensational Encounter with High Socialist China, a recollection of the historic visit. Professor Pickowicz uses the five senses to draw the reader into his experiences.

The National Committee hosted a virtual program on August 11, 2020 with Dr. Paul Pickowicz to discuss his book and the very different China and era in U.S.-China relations that it portrays.

As U.S.-China relations continue to deteriorate, two components of the relationship that have been successful in the past are increasingly coming under attack: higher education and scientific collaboration.

On August 6, 2020, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies, and Michigan-China Innovation Center held the final in a series of “Bilateral Breakdown” webinars exploring U.S.-China relations through the lens of disengagement. Speakers Philip Bucksbaum, who holds several positions at Stanford University and its SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and is also the current president of the American Physical Society, and Bradley Farnsworth, vice president of the American Council on Education, discussed the effects the downturn in U.S.-China relations is having on American innovation and competitiveness, international students and universities, and research and development. Mary Gallagher, director of the University of Michigan’s International Institute and the Amy and Alan Lowenstein Professor in Democracy, Democratization, and Human Rights, moderated the discussion.

Recent Executive Orders banning transactions with ByteDance and Tencent in 45 days have left the future of Tiktok and WeChat in the United States in question. What do they mean for U.S.-China technology decoupling and two-way venture capital investing? What are the implications for U.S.-China relations?

The National Committee held an urgent discussion with cybersecurity expert Ms. Melissa Hathaway and tech investor Mr. Gary Rieschel on August 13, 2020 to discuss the reasons for the Executive Orders and the potential outcomes.

On August 5, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with - Anla Cheng, founder & CEO of SupChina - Erika Lee, Regents Professor of American History and director of the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota - Nancy Yao Maasbach, president of the Museum of Chinese in America - Jerry Yang, National Committee board member and co-founder and former CEO of Yahoo! The speakers discussed discrimination, generational divides, the model minority myth, and Sino-American relations.

In September 2011, sheriff’s deputies noticed three ethnic Chinese men near an Iowa cornfield. What started as a trespassing inquiry turned into a two-year FBI operation in which investigators bugged the men’s rental cars, used a warrant intended for foreign terrorists and spies, and flew surveillance planes over corn country – all to protecting Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer trade secrets. In The Scientist and the Spy, Mara Hvistendahl describes the unusually far-reaching investigation, which pitted a veteran FBI special agent assigned to fight a national-security priority against Florida resident Robert Mo, who after his academic career faltered took a questionable job with a Chinese agricultural company as a way to support his family.

Industrial espionage by Chinese companies, a real issue, is among the reasons that the Trump administration gives when explaining the genesis of the U.S.-China trade war, and a top counterintelligence target of the FBI. Have efforts to address the problem been successful?  With what collateral damage?

Author Mara Hvistendahl joined the National Committee on July 30, 2020 for a virtual program to discuss her book and the issues it raises for the United States, Sino-American collaboration in the sciences, and U.S.-China relations. The event was moderated by National Committee board member and Dorsey & Whitney attorney, Mr. Nelson Dong.

In mid-July 2020, the National Committee convened a virtual session of its U.S.-China Track II Dialogue on Healthcare.  Coming in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the participants focused on how our two nations can work together on global health crises in such areas as public health reforms, containment strategies, and healthcare delivery.

On July 30, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual public event to hear takeaways and lessons learned from the Healthcare Dialogue discussions. National Committee President Stephen Orlins led a conversation with George Gao, Director, China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Margaret Hamburg, Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Medicine and former Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration; Gordon Liu, PKU BOYA Professor of Economics, Ministry of Education Yangtze River Scholar Professor of Economics, National School of Development, Peking University; former FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan, Director, Robert J Margolis Center for Health Policy and Margolis Professor of Business, Medicine and Health Policy, Duke University; and Julia Spencer, Associate Vice President, Global Vaccine Public Policy, Partnerships and Government Affairs, Merck.

In October 2015, during the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, the Party committed to eliminating rural poverty by 2020. The goal was reiterated at the 19th National Party Congress in 2017. Now that we are halfway through 2020, what is the state of poverty elimination in rural China? What has been the impact of COVID-19? How are “left behind” children doing, especially now that some migrant laborers have been unable to return to their urban jobs because of the coronavirus? How do environmental issues, cultural preservation, and ethnic tourism fit in?      

On July 23, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual program with Ms. Mei Lan, born and raised in a Chinese village, and Mr. Matthew Chitwood, an American who lived in the Chinese countryside until late last year, to discuss the current situation in rural China.

In April 2020, reports about the poor treatment of African residents in Guangzhou were published around the world, including in the United States. COVID-19 had exacerbated the sometimes tense relationship between Africans and Chinese in China. China has invested in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors across Africa in recent decades, as well as in infrastructure development through loans, export credits, and official development assistance. What is the nature of the financing, and of the relationships between China and African nations? What does Chinese policy toward Africa mean for the United States, its bilateral relationship with China, and its relationships with the countries of Africa?

On June 24, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual program with Professor Deborah Bräutigam, one of the world’s foremost experts on China and Africa and a National Committee board member, and Ambassador Jendayi Frazer, former U.S. ambassador to South Africa and former assistant secretary of state for African affairs, to discuss China, Africa, and U.S. policy.

About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/china-africa-american-policy

On June 18, 2020, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations hosted a webinar with Frank H. Wu, President of Queens College and former President of the Committee of 100. In a moderated conversation with NCUSCR President Steve Orlins, Mr. Wu discussed the impact that coronavirus and the U.S. Department of Justice's China Initiative will have on higher education and the future of Chinese students in the United States. He also elaborated on the continuing importance of educational exchange.  

This program was originally held exclusively for participants from the National Committee’s next generation leadership initiatives, including alumni of the U.S. Foreign Policy Colloquium, the Student Leaders Exchange, and the Schwarzman Scholars Program. The event was designed not only as a unique opportunity to hear from Mr. Wu, but also for the Committee's network of program participants and alumni to connect across the United States and China.  

About Frank H. Wu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_H._Wu

In her new book, "Ambitious and Anxious: How Chinese Undergraduates Succeed and Struggle in American Higher Education," based on research conducted both in the United States and in China, Yingyi Ma argues that Chinese college student experiences of American education spring from the enormous social changes in China of the last few decades, creating both ambition and anxiety. She offers some policy suggestions to American educators and administrators, starting with the recruitment process, running through classroom practices, and concluding with career services. On June 23, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual program with Dr. Ma where she discussed her book. Speaker bio: ncuscr.org/event/ambitious-and-anxious

What were some of the forces roiling Shanghai, and by extension, China as a whole, in the early 1940’s? In Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai, Dr. James Carter describes the many worlds of Shanghai on the eve of World War II, focusing on the city’s famed race track a few weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  

In capturing the confluence of these three disparate, coexisting worlds on November 12, 1941, Professor Carter explores the multi-faceted history of old Shanghai and the various international influences, characters, and events that shaped the city’s evolution and its profound schisms. He joined the National Committee on June 16, 2020 for a virtual program to discuss his new book.  

Speaker bio: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/carter-champions-day

The Department of Justice launched the China Initiative in November 2018 to counter national security threats emanating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In February 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that it had launched about a thousand active investigations under the Initiative; the China Initiative is gaining momentum.   

In a forthcoming article, Seton Hall University Law Professor Margaret K. Lewis argues that using “China” as the glue connecting cases under the Initiative’s umbrella creates an overly inclusive conception of the threat, and attaches a criminal taint to entities that have an even tangential connection to China. A better path would be to discard the “China Initiative” framing, focus on cases’ individual characteristics, and broaden the Department of Justice’s interactions with non-governmental experts.   

On June 9, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Margaret Lewis where she discussed her article.

With the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, reports of racism against Asian-Americans have risen sharply, drawing renewed attention to issues of bias, immigration, and the place of Asian-Americans in society. The current surge of anti-Asian incidents highlights a troubling history, and reinforces the urgent need to examine, understand, and confront these issues that affect the lives of Asian-Americans, influence American perceptions of China, and ultimately affect Sino-American relations on the global stage.  On June 2, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual discussion with Jennifer Ho, professor of ethnic studies at University of Colorado and president of the Association for Asian American Studies, and John Pomfret, former Washington Post correspondent and author of The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom: America and China, 1776 to the Present, on the history of anti-Chinese/Asian racism in the United States, the impact of coronavirus-related racism, and the importance of uniting across our communities to stand up against all forms of discrimination. For more on the coronavirus and its social impacts on the people of the United States and China, please visit ncuscr.org/coronavirus.

The 2020 annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known as the “Two Sessions” or “Lianghui,” were originally scheduled to begin in Beijing on March 5. The meetings were postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, and new dates were announced in late April: the CPPCC meeting began instead on May 21 and the NPC on May 22. 

At past Two Sessions, the leadership unveiled its target for GDP growth for the year, presented a road map for the year ahead, and closed with a news conference during which the premier took vetted questions from Chinese and foreign journalists. Given the impact of COVID-19, objectives, formats, and announcements were very different this year. 

On May 29, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual program with Mr. Jude Blanchette, Freeman Chair of China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Ms. Sun Yun, senior fellow and co-director of the East Asia Program and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, both members of the Committee’s Public Intellectuals Program, to reflect on key takeaways from the 2020 Two Sessions.

As the COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to every level of the global economy, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is bringing together leading American and Chinese experts on economics and trade to share analysis and projections on the issues. We invite you to join us for a series of virtual programs, Coronavirus Crisis: What it means for U.S.-China Economic & Trade Relations, over the next month. 

The final program in the series, Coronavirus Crisis: Prospects for U.S.-China Cooperation in Combatting the Global Economic Downturn, was held on May 27, 2020. The speakers included: Nicholas R. Lardy, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics; Robert E. Rubin, Former U.S. Treasury Secretary; Lu Feng, Director, China Macroeconomic Research Center, Peking University; Yao Yang, Boya Chair Professor and Dean, National School of Development, Peking University.  

For more information on the potential economic, social, and political impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, and its long-term implications for U.S.-China relations, please visit https://www.ncuscr.org/coronavirus 

The Pew Research Center has been polling American adults on their perceptions of China since 2005. The latest report, based on interviews conducted in March 2020, shows that growing numbers of Americans have become increasingly negative about China. For the first time, more than half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 held unfavorable views of China.

The National Committee held a virtual program on May 14, 2020, with Pew Research Center Senior Researcher Dr. Laura Silver to discuss the study’s findings.

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. National Committee Chair Ambassador Carla A. Hills provided introductions and President Stephen Orlins moderated the event.

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 next episode, "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.

As the COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to every level of the global economy, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is bringing together leading American and Chinese experts on economics and trade to share analysis and projections on the issues. We invite you to join us for a series of virtual programs, Coronavirus Crisis: What it means for U.S.-China Economic & Trade Relations, over the next month. 

The second program in the series, Coronavirus Crisis: Prospects for U.S.-China Economic and Trade Relations, was held on May 13, 2020. The speakers included: Tu Xinquan, Dean, China Institute for WTO Studies, University of International Business and Economics; Xu Gao, Chief Economist, Bank of China International Co. Ltd; Barry Naughton, So Kwanlok Chair of Chinese International Affairs, University of California, San Diego; and Daniel Rosen, Founder and China Practice Leader, Rhodium Group. 

For more information on the potential economic, social, and political impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, and its long-term implications for U.S.-China relations, please visit https://www.ncuscr.org/coronavirus 

A deteriorating bilateral relationship and growing regulatory scrutiny have changed the trajectory of capital flows between the United States and China over the past three years. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to further disrupt two-way investment, as weak Chinese consumption and supply chain risks make U.S. companies re-think their China footprint, and Chinese investors face continued headwinds from domestic restrictions on outbound capital flows and U.S. regulators wary of opportunistic foreign buyers.

The National Committee held a virtual event with report authors Thilo Hanemann and Daniel Rosen, both of Rhodium Group; Ker Gibbs, president, AmCham Shanghai; Rebecca Fannin, founder/editor, Silicon Dragon Ventures; and National Committee President Stephen Orlins to launch our new Two-Way Street: 2020 Update report and discuss the latest two-way investment data and analysis on May 11, 2020.

As the impact of technology gains increasing strategic importance in the U.S.-China relationship, the National Committee hosted the second session of Navigating China's Technological Rise, a series of virtual programs on the critical issues and policies affecting the technology industry and its impact on Sino-American ties. 

  The second program of the series, Critical Technology Regulation and its Industry Impact, which took place on May 8, 2020, featuring discussion and Q&A with NCUSCR Director Anja Manuel, co-founder and principal of Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, and Paul Triolo, head of the geo-technology practice at Eurasia Group. 

  Ms. Manuel and Mr. Triolo discussed the policies that contributed to China’s technological rise, the geopolitical implications of this rise, how U.S. firms should approach this new order, and how recent developments, such as the Phase I trade agreement and COVID-19 pandemic, have affected technological collaboration.

As the COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to every level of the global economy, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is bringing together leading American and Chinese experts on economics and trade to share analysis and projections on the issues. We invite you to join us for a series of virtual programs, Coronavirus Crisis: What it means for U.S.-China Economic & Trade Relations, over the next month.

The first program in the series, Coronavirus Crisis: The Short and Long-Term Economic Impact in China and the United States, was held on April 29, 2020, and featured: Gao Shanwen, Chief Economist, Essence Securities Co., Ltd.; Huang Yiping, Professor of Economics and Deputy Dean, National School of Development, Peking University; Catherine Mann, Global Chief Economist, Citi; Mark Zandi, Chief Economist, Moody's Analytics.

The arrival of the coronavirus in both China and the United States has further strained an already frayed bilateral relationship. Yet, if the world is to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for future health crises, the two nations must work together to confront the immediate issues of medical treatment and equipment, and the longer-term need to develop and produce necessary vaccines.

On April 28, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual program where Joan Kaufman of Schwarzman Scholars moderated a conversation with two leading medical experts: Margaret Hamburg of the National Academy of Medicine and Winnie Yip of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, during which they discussed the potential for collaboration between the United States and China on global health strategies.

For more information on the coronavirus's impact on U.S.-China relations, visit www.ncuscr.org/coronavirus.

As the impact of technology gains increasing strategic importance in the U.S.-China relationship, we launched Navigating China's Technological Rise, a series of virtual programs featuring conversations with leading experts on the critical issues and policies affecting the technology industry and its impact on Sino-American ties.

Former National Intelligence Director and Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Command Admiral Dennis Blair was the featured speaker for the first event in the series, “Charting a Course from Competition to Collaboration,” on April 23, 2020. Admiral Blair, also a National Committee director, discussed the rise of China's technological capabilities, the related strategic challenges, and how a U.S. approach can best balance regulation and collaboration. The discussion and Q&A was moderated by NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins. 

In its fight against the coronavirus, should the United States consider China an enemy or a partner? “Viruses carry no passports, have no ideology, and respect no borders,” write Dr. Graham Allison and Mr. Christopher Li of Harvard University in a March essay in The National Interest, but our response to the pandemic will affect domestic and global economic growth, confidence in governments, and national standing around the world. Despite great differences between the United States and China, there are potential areas of collaboration in the battle against the coronavirus including in data collection and sharing, diagnostics and public health measures, and biomedical research.

On April 22, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Graham Allison where he discussed prospects for cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus. 

Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, China’s leaders have devised nine different military strategies, also known as ‘strategic guidelines.’ In "Active Defense: China’s Military Strategy since 1949," M. Taylor Fravel explores the range and intensity of threats faced by the country, illuminating China’s past and present military goals and how it has sought to achieve them.

Dr. Fravel shows why transformations in military strategy were pursued at some times and not others. He focuses on the military strategies adopted in 1956, 1980, and 1993—all moments during which the PLA was attempting to wage war in a new way—to show that China has pursued major change in its strategic guidelines when there has been a significant shift in the conduct of warfare in the international system and when China’s Communist Party has been united.

On October 10, 2019, Dr. Taylor Fravel presented his findings and discussed the implications for China’s current military behavior.

As the novel coronavirus and resulting illness, COVID-19, spread across China and now the United States and much of the world, national governments have had to scramble to address this unprecedented health threat. At the same time, the pandemic has caused an enormous strain in U.S.-China relations at a time when the two countries are contending with an on-going trade war and other sources of friction.

On April 14, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with three experts: Yuen Yuen Ang of the University of Michigan, Amy Celico of the Albright Stonebridge Group, and Elizabeth Knup of the Ford Foundation. Committee president Steve Orlins moderated the conversation as they considered how the rampant spread of the virus is affecting the U.S.-China relationship, and what the long-term impact may be in the political, economic, and social realms.

According to an assessment prepared for Congress as mandated by the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act, the United States and China are “locked in a strategic competition over the future of the Indo-Pacific.” The authors of the report, including Ely Ratner, executive vice president and director of studies at the Center for a New American Security, describe competing visions for the rules, norms, and institutions that will govern international relations in the future and make more than 100 policy recommendations.

The United States is free and open; by contrast, China has, in recent years, turned in an increasingly closed and illiberal direction. If China should succeed in its efforts in the Indo-Pacific, the result would be less regional security and prosperity, and the United States would be less able to exert power and influence in the world.

The National Committee hosted a virtual event on March 31, 2020, with Ely Ratner to discuss these issues. He presented recommendations to address the critical areas of U.S. policy toward China that could be more consistent, coordinated, and productive.