Upcoming event

Will China’s strongman become even stronger? What the 20th Party Congress means for the United States. On Tuesday, October 4, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings will host a fireside conversation between New York Times Columnist Thomas L. Friedman and Brookings Senior Fellow Cheng Li, who together will unpack how the upcoming changes in the upper echelons of the Chinese leadership will affect China’s domestic development and role on the global stage.

Register to attend or watch online

Past event

Recent trends in global value chains and beyond. On September 28, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings presented the East Coast launch of the Global Value Chain Development Report, which explored the shift that is underway in global value chains as they increasingly move beyond traditional manufacturing processes to services and other intangible assets, aided by digitization.

Watch the recording

More research and commentary 

Can U.S. higher education maintain its global competitiveness? On the fifth episode of the Vying for Talent podcast, Amy E. Gadsden, the University of Pennsylvania’s associate vice provost for global initiatives, speaks with Ryan Hass and Jude Blanchette to emphasize the importance of international talent flows for American competitiveness.

How a U.S.-EU trade agreement could improve the economy, increase jobs, and strengthen democracy. On an episode of the Dollar & Sense podcast, Sanjay Patnaik, director of the Center on Regulation and Markets at Brookings, joins David Dollar to discuss his new report on the benefits of a U.S.-EU free trade agreement, building on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiated by the Obama administration but scuttled by President Trump.

Fear of conflict—the key to managing Taiwan tensions. Ryan Hass writes that disagreement and a lack of trust hinders cross-strait issues, but there is one thing China, Taiwan, and the U.S. agree on—conflict avoidance. This shared priority should serve as a starting point for managing tensions.

In the news

Next generation of leaders in China’s top decision-making bodies. Cheng Li was quoted in an Economist article on the emerging sixth-generation leaders in the top leadership.

Cracks in the Sino-Russian relationship. Patricia Kim was interviewed by VOA on the boundaries of China's "friendship without limits" in its cooperation with Russia.

How Biden's Taiwan strategy raises U.S.-China tensions. The Hill interviewed Ryan Hass on how Biden's statements on Taiwan and subsequent clarifications by White House officials have impacted the respective responses from Beijing and Taipei.

What brings China and Russia together. CNN quoted Susan Thornton on the defensive nature of the China-Russia partnership in the face of growing threat perceptions from the U.S. and NATO.

About the China Center 

The John L. Thornton China Center develops 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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