Dear Focus Readers,
Communication is key to any successful relationship. That includes China and the United States, which took a turn for the better this week via a 35 minute, in-person meeting between President Xi Jinping and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Both sides committed to continuing high-level communications, and discussed increasing educational exchanges, collaboration on climate change, and direct flights between the two countries.
And speaking of travel and educational exchanges, this week also saw the first U.S. student delegation to visit China since the pandemic, as a group of University of Montana students came to Hong Kong on June 17-22. They were led by former Senator Max Baucus, U.S. Ambassador to China during the Obama Administration. During their visit to the China-United States Exchange Foundation, they spoke with nuance, skill, and openness—three qualities imperative for a more promising era of bilateral relations. Words and actions matter.
You can watch the first part of my video interview with Ambassador Baucus, where we discuss the potential outcomes of Blinken's visit after years of stalemate in the bilateral relationship. To everyone celebrating in China, happy Dragon Boat Festival.
James Chau
President, China-United States Exchange Foundation
Want to learn more about the current state of China-U.S. relations but don't know where to start? We're excited to highlight "From Trump to Biden and Beyond: Reimaging China-U.S. Relations," by Earl Carr. Earl is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at CJPA Global Advisors, and one of our regular Focus contributors.
In his book, Earl seeks to reimagine U.S.-China relations, provide innovative policy analysis, and utilizes a truly multidisciplinary approach coupled with both first and second-hand quantitative data, infographics, geopolitical analysis, and perspectives from leading experts.
Hello Pengyou | Samara Schuman | Studying in China
Watch VideoAs mentioned above, this week the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) warmly welcomed a delegation of nine students from the Max Baucus Institute at University of Montana this week, marking the first visit of U.S. students to China since the start of the pandemic. This visit, which included spending several days in Hong Kong and mainland China, comes at a time when the two nations established a renewed commitment to people-to-people exchanges and cross-cultural understanding that can pave the way for strengthened ties.
"And honestly, the relationship between [the] U.S. and China doesn't necessarily have to start with a discussion of politics. Sometimes it starts with talking about cultures [and] sharing about one another, like what we can do with one another. Because in the end, we realize that we have a lot more similarities rather than differences."
useditor@chinausfocus.com for more info.
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Prepared by China-US Focus editorial teams in Hong Kong and New York, this weekly newsletter offers you snap shots of latest trends and developments emerging from China and the U.S. every week. It is a community space to exchange thoughts and ideas about the China-U.S. relationship and beyond.