Greetings!

Over the summer, we successfully launched the UC San Diego Forum on U.S.-China Relations , the only high-level forum of its kind. Chaired by Stephen Hadley, Kurt Campbell and Susan Shirk, the China Forum attracted sixty participants, including national security experts, business executives and thought leaders in policy and media, who deliberated a whole range of topics in an off-the-record discussion . 

We are grateful for the supporters, staff and the participants who made the China Forum a unique space to discuss the complex issues in U.S.-China relations with candor and creativity. The feedback from participants is overwhelmingly positive, and we are planning a follow-up forum early next year. The takeaways from the sessions will also be published before long. In the meantime, we invite you to revisit the opening panel and media coverage .

Kicking off the new academic year, we continue our event offerings with a wide view on China as tensions with the U.S. intensify, including the Ellsworth Memorial Lecture by former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, "Defining the Great Decoupling: Understanding where American and Chinese Hawks may Take U.S.-China Relations" on Nov. 4. 

In addition, we invite you to join discussions on modern Chinese history as the PRC marks its 70th anniversary on Sept. 30 , and a panel including Chinese and American experts on the prospects of U.S.-China Competition and Co-existence on Oct. 3 . As we witnessed a summer of protests in Hong Kong, we will also hold a panel of faculty and students on Oct. 10 to reflect on the political crisis there and anticipate  what the path forward might be.

In 2019-20, we are also diving deeper into policy issues that are vexing the bilateral relationship: a continuation of the University Think Tank Dialogue on Oct. 4-5 in partnership with Fudan University, and a w orking group on the science and technology issues in U.S.-China relations organized by the Asia Society-UC San Diego Taskforce on U.S. Policy Towards China on Oct. 27-28.

Finally, we invite you to sign up for event updates and follow us on Facebook , Twitter and check out original analysis from GPS students in the China Focus blog . And be sure to tune in to our podcast, China 21 .
 
Warmest regards,

Susan Shirk, Chair, 21st Century China Center; and
Lei Guang, Director, 21st Century China Center
Featured News
Watch Professor Victor Shih’s testimony to Lawmakers (opening remarks begin at 11:05).
Artwork from six prominent artists from China and Taiwan are now on display, exploring the continuity and innovation in Chinese painting. Four of them visited UC San Diego as part of Chinese Art Week.
In this first of a series of interviews with China Forum participants, Jack Zhang sits down with Jeffrey B ader, veteran diplomat and principal advisor to President Obama on Asian Affairs on the National Security Council.
Upcoming Events
Chinese Painting Exhibit
On view through Oct. 2 | Gallery Hours
Paintings from six prominent artists from China and Taiwan explore the continuity and innovation of the millennia-old medium of traditional Chinese painting.

China’s Rise in Historical Perspective
Sep. 30 | Register
In his new book, "Making China Modern," Klaus Mühlhahn of the Free University of Berlin provides a panoramic survey of China's rise and resilience through war and rebellion, disease and famine.

U.S.-China Competition and Co-existence
Oct. 3 | Register
A panel of Chinese and American experts will examine how historical examples such as the Cold War can illuminate the U.S.-China dynamics of competition in the age of globalization and economic interdependence.

A Summer of Protests: What’s the Path Forward for Hong Kong?
Oct. 10 | Register
A panel of UC San Diego faculty and students will reflect on the protests that roiled Hong Kong for the past four months and discuss the root causes of the political crisis, the possible paths forward and the future of “One Country Two Systems.”

Chinese Documentaries 2019 – International Symposium and Screenings
Oct. 14 | Details
Film scholars from Beijing Normal University and producers of the screened films will provide commentary at the Q&A after the screening of two films: "A Purpose Built School" and "The Story of Chuaner."

Photography Exhibit: China-Southeast Asia Border
Oct. 17 | Details
Celebrate the opening of the exhibit by Scott Ezell that features a selection of photographs documenting the effects of hydroelectric dams, mines and plantations on the China-Southeast Asia border region, and a performance of spoken word poetry and experimental music. Hosted by Geisel Library.

Defining the Great Global Decoupling: Understanding where American and Chinese Hawks may Take U.S.-China Relations
Nov. 4 | Register
In the Eighth Robert F. Ellsworth Memorial Lecture, former Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd explains the arguments by American and Chinese hawks in this current dynamic and where they may take U.S.-China relations.

The Politics of Legal Regimes in China
Nov. 14 | Save the Date
Is "ruling in accordance with law” a propaganda slogan, or a real policy? In a comprehensive study of the workings of the Chinese legal system, William Hurst of Northwestern University, offers a new way of understanding how cases are adjudicated in authoritarian settings in a conversation with Kwai Ng.

National China Town Hall
Nov. 18 from 3-5 p.m. | Save the Date
Joining hundreds of communities across the country, the CHINA Town Hall provides Americans a nuanced understanding of U.S.-China relations. A national webcast of a panel of China experts will be followed by a local town hall discussion. The event will be hosted at the Bishop’s School.

The Past and Future of Political Reform in China
Dec. 2 | Save the Date
Thirty years on, activist Wang Dan reflects on the pro-democracy movement in 1989 and discusses the prospects of political reform in China in a conversation with Victor Shih.
Profiles of China Scholars and Speakers
The Honorable Kevin Rudd  served as Australia’s 26th Prime Minister (2007-2010, 2013) and as Foreign Minister (2010-2012). He led Australia’s response during the Global Financial Crisis—the only major developed economy not to go into recession—and helped found the G20. Rudd joined the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York as its inaugural president in January 2015.
Michael Davidson is an assistant professor who holds a dual appointment with the School of Global Policy and Strategy and the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. He was most recently a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and earned his Ph.D. in engineering systems at MIT, where he focused on China’s nascent electricity markets and their effects on wind energy integration.
Lei Liang is a professor of music at UC San Diego and Acting Chair of the Music Department. He is a Chinese-born American composer whose works have been described as “hauntingly beautiful and sonically colorful” by The New York Times, and as “far, far out of the ordinary, brilliantly original and inarguably gorgeous” by The Washington Post.
Quick Links
China Focus is an online magazine dedicated to providing depth and context for understanding China and U.S.-China relations. It is run by GPS students with the support of the center.

China Research Workshops is an interdisciplinary series features new academic research by UC San Diego scholars and visiting researchers.

Listen to our China 21 Podcast latest episodes, and subscribe for updates on iTunes & Google Play:

Support – starting with their angel investment in 2012, our founders have remained supporting pillars of the center. Beginning in 2016, a new group of members, called the 21st Century China Center Leadership Circle, joined the founders in generously supporting the center's activities. The center also receives support from the Henry Luce Foundation, The Carnegie Corporation and other institutional partners. It welcomes tax-deductible donations from the alumni, community members and others who want to support our work on China and U.S.-China relations.
21st Century China Center 
School of Global Policy and Strategy
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