Foreign Affairs Editor Daniel Kurtz-Phelan on Shifting Views of China

Oct 30, 2025

Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, editor of Foreign Affairs and expert on U.S.-China relations, explores the evolving American discourse on China. He delves into how historical instances, like the Marshall mission, inform today’s policies and debates. Kurtz-Phelan discusses the challenge of incorporating authentic Chinese voices and critique's Foreign Affairs' role in reflecting diverse viewpoints. As the 'vibe shift' broadens the consensus, he underscores the importance of nuanced discussions and emphasizes the need to avoid simplistic Cold War narratives.

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INSIGHT

Magazine As Both Driver And Mirror

Daniel Kurtz-Phelan sees Foreign Affairs as both driving and reflecting U.S. foreign-policy debate, especially during shifts around China.
He deliberately commissions wide-ranging voices to surface underexplored questions and shape long-term strategy discussion.

INSIGHT

Broaden Voices, Tighten Editing

Kurtz-Phelan emphasizes broadening debate beyond policymakers to include academics, journalists, and Chinese voices to improve policy quality.
He insists on intensive editing to make contributors address hard questions in good faith.

ANECDOTE

Marshall Mission And Political Backlash

Kurtz-Phelan described George Marshall's 1945–47 mission to China and its failure, which fueled the postwar 'Who Lost China?' backlash.
That political fury, he warns, distorted U.S. policy and contributed to later decisions like Vietnam involvement.

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This week on Sinica, I chat with Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, editor of Foreign Affairs, about how the journal has both shaped and reflected American discourse on China during a period of dramatic shifts in the relationship. We discuss his deliberate editorial choices to include heterodox voices, the changing nature of the supposed "consensus" on China policy, and what I've called the "vibe shift" in how Americans across the political spectrum think about China. Daniel also reflects on his own intellectual formation, including his work on George Marshall's failed mission to mediate China's Civil War and the cautionary lessons that history holds for today's debates. We explore the challenges of bringing Chinese voices into Foreign Affairs, the balance between driving and reflecting policy debates, and whether we're witnessing a genuine opening of the Overton window on China discussions.

7:15 – Foreign Affairs in the era of Iraq and "China's peaceful rise"

12:09 – The Marshall mission and the "Who Lost China?" debate

17:17 – China's changing role and the journal's coverage density

19:43 – The Campbell-Ratner "China Reckoning" and subsequent debates

25:00 – The challenge of including authentic Chinese voices

29:42 – How Chinese leadership perceives and reads Foreign Affairs

32:12 – The "vibe shift" on China across the American political spectrum

35:56 – Cultivating contrarian voices: Van Jackson, Jonathan Czin, and David Kang

40:17 – Avoiding the trap of making everything about U.S.-China competition

43:12 – Diversifying perspectives beyond the Washington-Beijing binary

48:18 – The big questions: American exceptionalism and Chinese identity in a new era

51:42 – The dangers of cutting off U.S.-China scholarly conversations

56:26 – The uses and misuses of historical analogies

58:09 – Spain's Golden Age and late Qing memes as contemporary analogies

Paying it forward: The unsung editorial staff at Foreign Affairs

Recommendations:

Daniel: Equator.org; The Rise of the Meritocracy by Michael Young; Granta's new India issue; The Party's Interests Come First by Joseph Torigian; The Coming Storm by Odd Arne Westad

Kaiser: The Spoils of Time by C.V. Wedgwood

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