Brookings scholars John R. Allen, Ryan Hass, and Bruce Jones released a report in tandem with a parallel paper by scholars at the Chinese Institutes of Contemporary International Relations providing a perspective on the future development of U.S.-China relations. These papers offer insights into areas where the U.S. and Chinese authors hold converging and diverging perspectives.
Cheng Li writes that Washington policymakers need to ask whether deepening perceptions of American insensitivity and neglect of China’s vast young population help advance U.S. values and interests. He asks, "Strategically speaking, if America alienates China’s youth, what influence can the United States expect to have on China’s future evolution?"
In recent years, China has upgraded its strategic partnerships and expanded military exchanges and joint exercises with countries including Russia, Pakistan, and Iran. As President Biden works to revitalize U.S. alliances, Patricia Kim says the administration should consider ways to keep China invested in stable relations and engage with a broad array of states, not just like-minded democracies.
A preliminary assessment of China’s land border law. Shuxian Luo analyzesChina's new land border law, which will take effect on January 1, 2022. She writes that "the law sets an overall tone of resolve upfront, stating that China will 'resolutely defend territorial sovereignty and land border security' while continuing to seek to settle disputes through negotiations."
The state of China’s economy and U.S.-China relations. On the Dollar & Sense podcast, Eswar Prasad joins host David Dollar to discuss why China's economy is slowing, whether the Renminbi might be used as an international reserve currency, and what happened at the recent online summit between Presidents Biden and Xi.
Taiwan’s leaders need to coalesce around a defense concept. Ryan Hass writes that the greater alignment that Taiwan’s leaders of both major parties can reach, and the more enduring that Taiwan's defense concept becomes, the greater the impact Taipei will have on their adversary’s calculations about the risks of using force in pursuit of political objectives.
Where Brookings experts read about China. David Dollar, Jamie Horsley, Richard Bush, Ryan Hass, and Shuxian Luo offer recommendations on where to find official Chinese government documents, in Chinese and English, as well as reliable information and analysis on Beijing’s perspectives and policies, and what they read to gain insight into contemporary China.
Recent webinars
A readout from the Biden-Xi virtual meeting. On November 16th, The Foreign Policy program at Brookings hosted National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to discuss the virtual meeting between President Biden and President Xi. The webinar began with opening remarks by Mr. Sullivan and was followed by a moderated discussion with Brookings President John R. Allen.
A conversation on China's youth generation. Last month, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings hosted Li Chunling to present the key findings from her new book "China’s Youth." The event also featured a panel discussion of leading experts who examined the implications of this exceptional generation for the country and the world.
Key issues addressed during the Biden-Xi meeting. In an interview with PBS, Susan A. Thornton discusses the key issues covered in the call between President Biden and President Xi, including the focus of U.S.-China competition, America's Taiwan policy, and nuclear arms.
What was expected at the Xi-Biden meeting. Foreign Policy interviewed Patricia Kim about the state of U.S.-China relations. She posited that "While the Biden administration has been very successful thus far on the alliance-building front, we’ve yet to see the establishment of a sustainable working relationship with China, largely because of Beijing’s resistance to the Biden administration’s proposed framework."
Calls for war with Taiwan grow among radical Chinese. Yun Sun told the South China Morning Post that despite the intensity of discussion about a possible war with Taiwan, the Chinese public's voices would carry little weight in Beijing's decision-making on this matter.
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.
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