By Andy Yen

The Strait Talk Berkeley-San Francisco 2012 panel discussions concluded this past Wednesday at the Bechtel Conference Center in San Francisco, where student delegates from Taiwan (5), China (5), and the United States (5) reflected on an intense week of panel discussions on cross-strait relations between China, Taiwan, and the United States.

Student delegates debated throughout the week about economic, cultural, and political issues that currently affect cross-strait relations.  Brandon Hughes, a second-year American graduate student in the Tsinghua University International Relations program said, "The biggest change I have seen this year compared to last year, is the level of moderation in our discussions.  We have mutual respect and these dialogues have helped us build trust.  From the discussions I have had this week, I believe that the younger generation will be able to improve cross-strait relations."

Strait Talk is a non-partisan dialogue program that seeks to transform international conflict by connecting young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the United States and empowering them to strive for peace.

The Berkeley-San Francisco Chapter has collaborated with UC Berkeley Departments, the Japan Policy Research Institute at the University of San Francisco and Asia Society Northern California.