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

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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

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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

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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/

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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

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U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community. 

The Pacific Islands lie in China’s and the United States’ backyards. How can the two countries become better neighbors to the region to better the lives of those living in the Pacific? Graeme Smith, professor and podcast host, joined the National Committee on July 27, 2023 to broadly discuss the perspective from the Pacific Islands.  

About the speaker

Read the transcipt

Follow Graeme Smith on X: @GraemeKSmith

Listen to The Little Red Podcast

Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at [email protected]

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The United States and its allies have been combating Houthi attacks that have left vital Red Sea shipping lanes vulnerable. China, however, has contributed little to these international efforts. Tensions have risen amid calls for China to join the international effort, prompting discussions on the nation’s role in safeguarding maritime security in the Red Sea.

How can China and the United States work together or separately to help restore stability and security in the crucial Red Sea region, and what is holding back cooperation? In a discussion moderated by Dawn Murphy on March 18, 2024, Isaac Kardon and Sun Yun analyze the shipping lane crisis and China’s role in Red Sea security.

About the speakers

Follow Dawn Murphy on X: @DawnMurphyChina

Follow Isaac Kardon on X: @IBKardon

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China’s economy is infused into every aspect of the U.S.-China relationship. With tighter U.S. export controls on chips, new technology developments in China, a slowdown in consumer activity, rising electric vehicle competition, and prickly government relations, the Chinese and American economies were inextricably linked in 2023. What will happen in 2024 as the U.S. presidential election brings more uncertainty to U.S.-China relations? Understanding where China’s macroeconomic trends are heading – and how they may affect American consumers – is crucial to managing other areas of the bilateral relationship.

Economists are split on whether the Chinese economy is stable or on the edge of a debt crisis. In this program on March 14, 2024, National Committee President Stephen Orlins joins Amy Celico and Barry Naughton to help make sense of different economic and policy projections for China’s economy in 2024 (and beyond).

About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/chinas-economy-2024/

Follow Amy Celico on X: @AmyCelico

Follow Barry Naughton on X: @bnaughton

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The annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known as the “Two Sessions” (“Lianghui”), feature the gathering of political leaders in Beijing each spring to announce plans and goals for the coming year. In 2024, faced with concerns over stalling economic growth, increased tension in the South China Sea, and elections in Taiwan and the United States, the Two Sessions has been in the spotlight for both international and domestic audiences. What are the key implications of the 2024 Two Sessions for the state and trajectory of U.S.-China relations?

In an interview conducted on March 14, 2024, Jessica Teets and Jack Zhang discuss the implications of the 2024 Two Sessions for China’s economy, politics, and foreign policy with Mary Gallagher.

About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/2024-two-sessions/

Follow Mary Gallagher on X: @MaryGao

Follow Jack Zhang on X: @HanFeiTzu

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