Food for Thought – US-China Relations in the Biden-Xi Era

Prof. Sun Zhe, Co-Director of China Initiative, SIPA

President Biden’s China policy is like a cocktail with three layers of pragmatic elements: “competitive when it should be, collaborative when it can be, and adversarial when it must be.” A fundamental change in US-China relations in the Biden-Xi Trump era can be seen in four perspectives: a sharp shrink in people-to-people exchange; lacking of substantial cooperation even in a symbolic sense; intensified competition in every field; extended confrontation ranging from sovereignty, human rights, to cyber-security issues. Where are the ways out? Whether the rise of China is a fantasy or fallacy, China’s domestic change under Xi’s leadership has hindered its open door policy and thus affected its foreign policy, especially the US-China relations in a negative way. There is a pressing need to “reset” the relationship and explore areas where the two countries can cooperate.

The lecture will consist of four parts: 1) a brief description of the current US-China relations and key elements in American China policy; 2) an explanation of the fundamental changes in the relations; 3) Chinese narratives and debates on dealing with the U.S.; and 4) the future perspective and proposals to manage the relationship. Q & A sessions will follow.

Zoom link will be provided upon registration.