Recent Events

At a National Committee program on Monday, March 18 Richard Bush, a senior fellow at Brookings, discussed his new book at Dorsey & Whitney in New York City.

In 2008 when Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chancellor’s Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine, was working on his book, China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know, China was in the headlines: it was the year of the Olympic Games, a major earthquake in Sichuan, demonstrations in Tibet, environmental protests in the Yangzi Delta, and nationalist outbursts in Beijing.

Over the past decades China has experienced massive urbanization: its cities are now home to 10% of the world’s population and over 50% of the Chinese population. In The Chinese City, Weiping Wu and Piper Gaubatz explore how Chinese cities display unprecedented dynamism under the country’s growing economic power, challenging conventional urban theories and experiences of cities elsewhere. Dr. Wu discussed her new book at a National Committee program on Thursday, February 21 at the Henry Luce Foundation.

Since 2007, the National Committee has run a series of multi-day briefings for mid-career officers in the United States armed services who have been fast-tracked for top leadership positions. The purpose of these seminars is to provide the participants with a general background on China and to brief them on issues not conventionally covered in their military training – such as China’s domestic politics, economic development, business and trade, foreign policy, rule of law, growth of civil society, environmental concerns and climate change, energy, and the use of soft power.

As the greatest coal producing and consuming nation in the world, China would seem an unlikely haven for wind power. Yet the country now boasts a world-class industry that promises to make low-carbon technology more affordable and available to all.

Christine Loh, undersecretary for the environment in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, discussed recent developments in Hong Kong as well as environmental issues in Hong Kong and neighboring Guangdong Province on Thursday, February 7 in New York. This National Committee event was co-sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.  

What underlies China’s policies toward the countries of the Middle East? Dr. Pan Guang, vice chairman and professor of political science and history at the Shanghai Center for International Studies of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), discussed his views with moderator Jan Berris, National Committee Vice President, and the audience on January 24, 2013 at Jones Day New York.

With the new make-up of China’s highest political bodies no longer a mystery, the question now turns to how these fifth generation leaders will impact the regional and global world orders over their tenures. Will the Xi-Li government institute the political and financial reforms many call for? Will Sino-U.S. relations enter a new phase of […]

Prominent rights activist, legislator and professor Wu Qing joined the National Committee Vice President Jan Berris in a program co-hosted by the National Committee and Asia Society on December 12, 2012. A well-known public figure in China, Wu Qing has built a reputation as a fearless legislator, human rights activist – particularly on behalf of women, and dedicated teacher. Program Video:

Despite its impressive size and population, economic vitality, and drive to upgrade its military capabilities, China remains a vulnerable nation surrounded by powerful rivals and potential foes. In China's Search for Security, authors Andrew J. Nathan and Andrew Scobell argue that the key to understanding China’s foreign policy is to grasp these geostrategic challenges, which […]

The National Committee hosted a public program with Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, on U.S.-China trade tensions and opportunities. The program was held at the offices of Covington and Burling in New York City on October 4, 2012. Bio Fred P. Hochberg is Chairman and President […]

Sidney Rittenberg may not have the nine lives of a cat, but he has lived at least three: first, he spent his childhood in Charleston, S.C., going on to college in North Carolina; he then moved to China at the end of World War II, observing and participating in the Chinese revolution, remaining there for the next 35 years; he returned to the United States in 1980 to become a highly regarded consultant, advising major corporate clients on doing business in China.