The US-China Podcast

A full-out trade war erupted between the United States and China during the Trump administration, increasing tariffs on Chinese imports in dozens of sectors and leading to rising business competition and costs to consumers. How has this ongoing trade war impacted everyday U.S. and Chinese citizens? And how will the Biden administration handle the current tariffs placed on Chinese goods?  KU Trade War Lab Director Jack Zhang joined the National Committee to discuss the national and global consequences of the U.S.-China trade war on May 7, 2024.  About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/us-china-trade-war/ Follow Jack Zhang on X: @HanFeiTzu Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

China was able to broker a historic global security agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, changing not only the Middle East’s regional dynamics, but also China’s position on the global diplomatic stage. China performs a balancing act between being a responsible stakeholder in world affairs, including the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars, and upholding its value of non-interference in other countries’ politics. Why is China positioning itself as a global peace broker and conflict mediator? What does this position say about China’s national trajectory and its relationship with the United States?  What’s are the advantages of China positioning itself as a global peace broker and conflict mediator? What does this position say about China’s national trajectory and its relationship with the United States? Preston Jordan Lim joined the National Committee on May 6, 2024 to discuss the diplomatic goals and national strategy of China’s engagement in global conflicts and resolutions.   About the speaker Follow Preston Jordan Lim on X: @PrestonJordanL1 Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

Official U.S. policy towards Taiwan focuses on developing robust non-state relations with the island while advocating for a peaceful resolution to the cross-strait conflict. When considering American policy towards Taiwan, is more U.S. support good for Taiwan and regional peace?  Sara Newland, Assistant Professor of Government at Smith College, discusses the need to pay attention to Taiwan’s own desires and needs in the context of the China-U.S.-Taiwan relationship in this latest installment of U.S.-China Counterpoints in an interview conducted on November 3, 2023. U.S.-China Counterpoints explores common perspectives on the U.S.-China relationship held by those in both countries. Guided by leading experts, this series examines the facts behind common viewpoints, and the details that shape U.S.-China relations behind the headlines.  About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/should-us-support-taiwan/ Follow Sara Newland on X: @NewlandSara Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

China is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, making its carbon abatement plans crucial to the future of global climate change mitigation. The country’s flagship climate goals aim to peak carbon levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 (“30-60 goals”). China has moved more slowly in developing its emissions trading system (ETS) than in other carbon abatement areas. 2021 marked the inception of China’s ETS, the largest carbon emissions market in the world. At the onset, the ETS showed promising returns, with close to $200 million tons of trading in the first transaction period (July-December 2021). However, over the past few years, China has moved slowly to expand the ETS to include more industries. Most recently, the government passed a new series of regulations that will strengthen the legitimacy of the market and authorize more penalties for companies that fabricate or fail to report their emissions. On April 4, 2024, Michael Davidson joins Max Song and Xiaolu Zhao to discuss China’s emissions trading system and its implications for domestic and international climate goals. About the speakers Follow Max Song on X: @Pericarus Follow Michael Davidson on X: @east_winds Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

In a nation famous for its megacities, it’s hard to grasp that China is the world’s third most biodiverse country and 42% uninhabited wilderness. Yet protecting wild Chinese flora and fauna is crucial to preserving a healthy climate. How does China interact with the wilderness on their doorstep, and how are conservation efforts bridging the gap between man and nature?  In an interview recorded on February 28, 2024, conservationist Kyle Obermann joins us for Earth Month to share his experiences documenting China’s little-known wild places.   About the speaker Follow Kyle Obermann on X: @KyleExplores Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

A TikTok ban moved one step closer to reality when the House passed the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” in March 2024, and then moved to package the Act with foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan in mid-April. Though not yet a law, the bill draws attention to the deepening tech competition between the U.S. and China. While Chinese companies do manage to find space in U.S. markets and popularity with American consumers, at the same time they raise the suspicions of the U.S. government. TikTok is not the first Chinese tech company to run up against U.S. lawmakers or regulators, but the precedent set by TikTok’s case could impact U.S.-China relations for years to come.   In an interview recorded March 25, 2024, Wenchi Yu joins us to discuss how Chinese companies can better adapt and localize to the U.S. market and pave the way for healthier U.S.-China business relations.  About the speaker Follow Wenchi Yu on X: @WenchiY Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

On November 14th, 2023, the United States and China jointly issued the “Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis” which introduced several areas for U.S.-China climate cooperation. The statement aims to increase activities between states, provinces, and cities in the two countries, and to restart Track 1, 1.5, and 2 dialogues on energy transition strategies. Meanwhile, John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua, the two veteran climate envoys responsible for hammering out global deals to address climate change, have both recently stepped down. Their successors, Liu Zhenmin and John Podesta, will build on a foundation of goodwill and communication, but have major challenges ahead. On March 29, 2024, Kelly Sims Gallagher and Li Shuo join the National Committee to discuss the future of U.S.-China climate diplomacy. About the speakers Follow Kelly Sims Gallagher on X: @kellysgallagher Follow Li Shuo on X: @LiShuo_GP Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

The 2024 CHINA Town Hall program took place on Tuesday, April 9, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET, with featured speaker Dr. Kurt Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State. Missed the event? Watch a recording of the livestream here. CHINA Town Hall (CTH), a two-part program that provides a snapshot of the current U.S.-China relationship and examines how that relationship reverberates at the local level – in our towns, states, and nation, connects Americans around the country with U.S. policymakers and thought leaders on China.   Since CTH began in 2007, the National Committee has proudly partnered with a range of institutions and civic groups, colleges and universities, trade and business associations, world affairs councils, and think tanks to convene town halls and bring this important national conversation to local communities around America (and a few overseas).  About the speaker About CHINA Town Hall Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

David M. Lampton’s new book addresses a core critique of the management of Sino-American relations across eight administrations: that naïve American elites conflated their hopes for democracy and a globally responsible China with the actual prospects for those ends, and, in the process, traded away American interests, competitive position, and national security. The book challenges that narrative. Developments in the U.S.-China relationship are converging in ways that are setting off major alarms; the level of hazard is unlike anything we have seen in a half-century. Living U.S.-China Relations describes the current situation and explains what has brought us to this juncture.  In an interview conducted on March 5, 2024, David M. Lampton, in conversation with Jan Berris and Gina Tam, discusses U.S.-China ties as a relationship between two societies, not just two states, through the vantage point of the author’s lived experience over nearly six decades. About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/living-us-china-relations-cold-war/ Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

At the height of the Cold War, the United States made a bold political gamble to engage with an underdeveloped and politically isolated China. Engagement policy transformed not only the Cold War political landscape, but the trajectory of history: China is now one of the largest and most powerful economies in the world, and is widely considered by Americans to be a rival.   In this new era of U.S.-China relations, “engagement” has become a target for criticism in American political circles. Does it deserve this reputation? In an interview recorded on December 12, 2023, Diana Fu and Yun Sun discuss the legacy of engagement policy and what lessons Americans can learn from the past five decades of relations with China.  U.S.-China Counterpoints explores common perspectives on the U.S.-China relationship held by those in both countries. Guided by leading experts, this series examines the facts behind common viewpoints, and the details that shape U.S.-China relations behind the headlines.  About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/counterpoints-engagement/ Follow Diana Fu on X: @dianafutweets Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).