EWI Hosts Roundtable Discussion on U.S.-China Relations

News | August 14, 2019

On July 30, the EastWest Institute (EWI) hosted a Chinese delegation of 15 distinguished scholars led by Ambassador Zhenhong Qi, president of the China Institute of International Studies—the think-tank arm of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The roundtable featured key policymakers and scholars from various parts of China with diverse expertise in macroeconomics, international affairs, cybersecurity, education, cross-strait relations and Asian studies. EWI’s President and CEO Dr. William Parker led the workshop to seek concrete steps to ease current U.S.-China tensions. Expert participants from the EWI delegation included Executive Vice President Bruce McConnell and Senior Associate of the Asia-Pacific program Zoe Leung.

Participants delved into a list of issues of mutual concern to both the United States and China, as well as steps to improve mutual understanding by deescalating bilateral tensions and building trust. Of particular note was a discussion on how U.S.-Taiwan relations and recent China-Russia joint military exercises inform public and official perceptions in both countries. The group also exchanged views on the role of media in the U.S.-China relationship and how offering Chinese and American journalists exposure to observe constructive Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogues help introduce more diverse and nuanced perspectives into the public discourse.

This roundtable discussion is part of EWI’s continued efforts to facilitate substantive exchanges with policy influencers and formulate concrete suggestions on practical ways ahead in these challenging times in bilateral relations. To that end, the Asia-Pacific program has been engaging key stakeholders from government, military, academia and business sectors. These ongoing exchanges enhance EWI’s work to promote dialogue and find solutions to intractable global issues.