PLEASE NOTE: This event is being held at the Grand Hyatt New York, near Grand Central Station in Manhattan. Registration for this event is administered by Concordia.

The dynamic nature of the U.S. and China’s bilateral relationship has significantly reframed international dialogue on the economic, environmental, political, and social challenges that face Asia and the West in the next decade. Often vacillating between competition to cooperation, China and the United States have regarded each other as both strategic rivals and potential collaborators. But with China’s economy in decline, the Sino-American rivalry may intensify as economic growth slows. Moreover, the vagaries of domestic politics in both China and the U.S. may influence and even determine the direction of Sino-American relations. The next U.S. President may choose to pursue a policy that toughens America’s stance towards China, while President Xi Jinping must contend with political elites who have a strong nationalist orientation and may, with increasing unrest at home, become more hostile to the United States. Such a scenario may lead to direct economic, political, and even military conflict between the two superpowers. Overall, the current crisis illustrates the complexity of the Sino-American relations, in which the U.S. needs a stable China, but fears what China’s success could portend for the global balance of power.

This session will explore questions surrounding the complex dynamics of the Sino-American relationship, including: How will the next U.S. President pursue a “rebalance” strategy that addresses military, diplomatic, and economic tensions? In light of China and America’s economic interdependence, to what extent are both sides willing to find areas of cooperation in the effort to better manage the strategic rivalry? In what ways are China’s economic woes connected to domestic policies and how will President Xi’s reform agenda fare in this period of decline? Will Chinese economic woes translate into more powerful negotiating positions for other countries and world powers in major geopolitical arenas such as in the South and East China Seas?

Speakers:

The Hon. Kevin Rudd, President, Asia Society Policy Institute; 26th Prime Minister of Australia

Ian Bremmer, Founder and President, The Eurasia Group; Distinguished Fellow, Asia Society Policy Institute

Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., Chairman, Atlantic Council; Former U.S. Ambassador to China and Governor of Utah