As part of the ongoing U.S.-China High-Level Political Party Leaders Dialogue, organized by the EastWest Institute in partnership with the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC), a delegation of CPC senior officials met with U.S. Democratic and Republican Party leaders as well as current and former U.S. officials in Washington, D.C. and New Jersey on May 5-7, 2014.

The delegation, participating in the seventh U.S.-China High-Level Political Party Leaders Dialogue, was led by Wang Jiarui, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the minister of the International Department of the CPC’s Central Committee (IDCPC). The U.S. delegation was headed by Edward G. Rendell, former general chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and former governor of Pennsylvania, and Robert M. Duncan, former chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). The sitting party officers on the U.S. delegation included DNC Vice Chair and U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), DNC treasurer Andrew Tobias and RNC treasurer Anthony W. Parker.

Dialogue sessions highlighted the measures that the CPC has taken to implement the reform plan outlined last November at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, as well as the upcoming U.S. midterm elections and their implications for the 2016 presidential elections. The delegates also discussed President Obama’s recent visit to Asia and the effects of U.S. and Chinese domestic politics on U.S.-China relations. In addition, the CPC delegation met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington, D.C., former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in New York and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at the governor’s official residence in Princeton, New Jersey. The delegation also visited the headquarters of Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, New Jersey and discussed healthcare reform in the U.S. and China with the company’s senior executives.

The U.S.-China High-Level Political Party Leaders Dialogue seeks to build understanding and trust between political elites from the United States and China through an exchange of views on governance and foreign policy issues. Six previous rounds of dialogue have been held since its launch in 2010.

“The Dialogue bears great significance for a better mutual understanding of each other’s culture and governance structure. It also plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the state-to-state relations,” said the International Department of the Central Committee of the CPC in a press release on the event. 

English and Chinese media coverage of the event included:

“Wang Jiarui attends and addresses the 7th China-US High-Level Leaders Dialogue in the U.S.,”
IDCPC, 5 May 2014

“Governor Chris Christie Participates In EastWest Institute Party Official Dialogue,” State of New Jersey – Office of the Governor, 7 May 2014

Read the full event report here.