In this monograph, co-published with Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, 17 China scholars offer analysis and recommendations on China policy for 2021 and beyond, on topics ranging from grand strategy and military policy to human rights and climate policy. The Yale Center Beijing has also produced a Chinese language overview of the monograph.
Cheng Li argues that resetting U.S.-China relations won't be easy, as many Chinese leaders see a Joe Biden administration as lacking the political capital to drastically change course. Nevertheless, the new administration provides an opportunity to halt the two countries' alarming march to confrontation.
As Joe Biden prepares to enter the White House in January, his counterparts around the world will have questions about how things will change in 2021. Brookings China Center experts Richard Bush, Cheng Li, Ryan McElveen, Peter Petri, Robert Williams, and Dan Wright channel the priorities — and in many cases anxieties — of foreign capitals.
Chinese perspectives on arms control. Last month, Brookings Fellows Lindsey Ford and Frank Rose hosted Chinese experts Dr. Yao Yunzhu and Dr. Li Bin to get a rare inside look at Chinese arms control frameworks.
More research and commentary
Joe Biden and U.S. credibility in Asia. In an op-ed originally published in Nikkei Asia, Ryan Hass argues that the Biden administration will be well prepared to meet grave regional challenges in Asia.
Securing tech companies' data. In a paper originally published by the University of Pennsylvania, Robert Williams analyzes tech policy and offers recommendations to better secure data between the United States and China.
What to know about RCEP, Asia's new trade agreement. On a recent episode of the Dollar & Sense podcast, David Dollar is joined by Peter Petri to discuss the recent signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, arguably the largest trade deal in history. In a separate piece, Peter Petri and Michael Plummer go deeper on what RCEP will practically mean for the future of Asia's economy.
In the news
Why China waited to congratulate Biden. In a Vox interview, Ryan Hass said Beijing recognizes "that Trump will be president for two more months and desire[s] to avoid being in Trump's political crosshairs."
What does the State Department's new 73-page report on China mean?Rush Doshi told Axios that "one unique feature of the memo is its focus on how the CCP's worldview shapes its behavior, which has been rare in U.S. government documents and should be a larger part of U.S. policy debates." However, Doshi added that the paper overlooks several key topics, such as economics and technology.
Re-examining U.S. narratives about China. In a recent edition of Politico's China Watcher newsletter, Brookings China Center nonresident fellow Diana Fu said that "the current narrative about Chinese elites embracing Biden needs to be tempered with how many Chinese people are Trump fans." She added that such fans "range from those who admire Trump’s strong man rule to Chinese dissidents in the diaspora who applaud Trump’s 'anti-CCP' stance."
About the China Center
The John L. Thornton China Centerdevelops timely, independent analysis and policy recommendations to help U.S. and Chinese leaders address key long-term challenges, both in terms of U.S.-China relations and China's internal development.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brookings Institution campus in Washington, D.C. is currently closed and all events are virtual only. For more information on the Institution's response, read our full guidance here.
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