NCUSCR Events

What were some of the forces roiling Shanghai, and by extension, China as a whole, in the early 1940's? In Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai, Dr. James Carter describes the many worlds of Shanghai on the eve of World War II, focusing on the city's famed race track a few weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

In capturing the confluence of these three disparate, coexisting worlds on November 12, 1941, Professor Carter explores the multi-faceted history of old Shanghai and the various international influences, characters, and events that shaped the city's evolution and its profound schisms. He joined the National Committee on June 16, 2020 for a virtual program to discuss his new book.

Speaker bio: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/carter-champions-day

The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations held a webinar with NCUSCR board director William "Bill" Ford, CEO of General Atlantic, on June 15, 2020. In a moderated conversation with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, Mr. Ford discussed the future of cross border technology investment and market access, the impact of U.S. and Chinese domestic policy and the trade war on foreign direct investment, and key investment areas for collaboration between the United States and China.  

This was the third program in a series of virtual programs entitled, Navigating China’s Technological Rise, which was initially intended to be held in-person in late April. This series features conversations with leading experts on critical issues and policies pertaining to China that affect the technology industry. The first and second programs in the series can be found on the NCUSCR website.  

Speaker bio: ncuscr.org/event/ford-investing-in-innovation

The Department of Justice launched the China Initiative in November 2018 to counter national security threats emanating from the People's Republic of China (PRC). In February 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that it had launched about a thousand active investigations under the Initiative; the China Initiative is gaining momentum.

In a forthcoming article, Seton Hall University Law Professor Margaret K. Lewis argues that using "China" as the glue connecting cases under the Initiative's umbrella creates an overly inclusive conception of the threat, and attaches a criminal taint to entities that have an even tangential connection to China. A better path would be to discard the "China Initiative" framing, focus on cases' individual characteristics, and broaden the Department of Justice's interactions with non-governmental experts.

On June 9, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual program with Margaret Lewis where she discussed her article.

With the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, reports of racism against Asian-Americans have risen sharply, drawing renewed attention to issues of bias, immigration, and the place of Asian-Americans in society. The current surge of anti-Asian incidents highlights a troubling history, and reinforces the urgent need to examine, understand, and confront these issues that affect the lives of Asian-Americans, influence American perceptions of China, and ultimately affect Sino-American relations on the global stage. On June 2, 2020, the National Committee hosted a virtual discussion with Jennifer Ho, professor of ethnic studies at University of Colorado and president of the Association for Asian American Studies, and John Pomfret, former Washington Post correspondent and author of The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom: America and China, 1776 to the Present, on the history of anti-Chinese/Asian racism in the United States, the impact of coronavirus-related racism, and the importance of uniting across our communities to stand up against all forms of discrimination. For more on the coronavirus and its social impacts on the people of the United States and China, please visit ncuscr.org/coronavirus.

The 2020 annual meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known as the "Two Sessions" or "Lianghui," were originally scheduled to begin in Beijing on March 5. The meetings were postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, and new dates were announced in late April: the CPPCC meeting began instead on May 21 and the NPC on May 22.

At past Two Sessions, the leadership unveiled its target for GDP growth for the year, presented a road map for the year ahead, and closed with a news conference during which the premier took vetted questions from Chinese and foreign journalists. Given the impact of COVID-19, objectives, formats, and announcements were very different this year.

On May 29, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual program with Mr. Jude Blanchette, Freeman Chair of China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Ms. Sun Yun, senior fellow and co-director of the East Asia Program and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, both members of the Committee's Public Intellectuals Program, to reflect on key takeaways from the 2020 Two Sessions.

As the COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to every level of the global economy, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is bringing together leading American and Chinese experts on economics and trade to share analysis and projections on the issues. We invite you to join us for a series of virtual programs, Coronavirus Crisis: What it means for U.S.-China Economic & Trade Relations, over the next month.

The final program in the series, Coronavirus Crisis: Prospects for U.S.-China Cooperation in Combatting the Global Economic Downturn, was held on May 27, 2020. The speakers included: Nicholas R. Lardy, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics; Robert E. Rubin, Former U.S. Treasury Secretary; Lu Feng, Director, China Macroeconomic Research Center, Peking University; Yao Yang, Boya Chair Professor and Dean, National School of Development, Peking University.

For more information on the potential economic, social, and political impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, and its long-term implications for U.S.-China relations, please visit https://www.ncuscr.org/coronavirus

The Pew Research Center has been polling American adults on their perceptions of China since 2005. The latest report, based on interviews conducted in March 2020, shows that growing numbers of Americans have become increasingly negative about China. For the first time, more than half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 held unfavorable views of China.

The National Committee held a virtual program on May 14, 2020, with Pew Research Center Senior Researcher Dr. Laura Silver to discuss the study's findings.

The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations was pleased to host a virtual conversation on May 19, 2020, with Ambassador Robert Zoellick, former U.S. Trade Representative and president of the World Bank, among other positions in and outside of government. Fifteen years have passed since his "responsible stakeholder" speech at the National Committee's 2005 Gala dinner. Ambassador Zoellick offered reflections on his 2005 speech and the policy implications of his approach for the United States when considering the current Sino-U.S. relationship. National Committee Chair Ambassador Carla A. Hills provided introductions and President Stephen Orlins moderated the event.

This speech is an excerpt from the National Committee 2020 Members Program. To hear NCUSCR Chair Ambassador Carla Hills introduction, as well as the extensive q&a with NCUSCR President Stephen Orlins, please listen to the next episode, "Amb. Robert Zoellick | 2020 Annual Members Program FULL EVENT."

The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations was pleased to host a virtual conversation on May 19, 2020, with Ambassador Robert Zoellick, former U.S. Trade Representative and president of the World Bank, among other positions in and outside of government. Fifteen years have passed since his "responsible stakeholder" speech at the National Committee's 2005 Gala dinner. Ambassador Zoellick offered reflections on his 2005 speech and the policy implications of his approach for the United States when considering the current Sino-U.S. relationship.

As the COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to every level of the global economy, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is bringing together leading American and Chinese experts on economics and trade to share analysis and projections on the issues. We invite you to join us for a series of virtual programs, Coronavirus Crisis: What it means for U.S.-China Economic & Trade Relations, over the next month.

The second program in the series, Coronavirus Crisis: Prospects for U.S.-China Economic and Trade Relations, was held on May 13, 2020. The speakers included: Tu Xinquan, Dean, China Institute for WTO Studies, University of International Business and Economics; Xu Gao, Chief Economist, Bank of China International Co. Ltd; Barry Naughton, So Kwanlok Chair of Chinese International Affairs, University of California, San Diego; and Daniel Rosen, Founder and China Practice Leader, Rhodium Group.

For more information on the potential economic, social, and political impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, and its long-term implications for U.S.-China relations, please visit https://www.ncuscr.org/coronavirus