Session 2
February 2, 09:00-11:10 Beijing | February 1, 20:00-22:10 Washington DC
Keynote: Cold War to Cold War? Legacy of Post-WWII World Order
Wang Jisi
Founding President, Institute of International and Strategic Studies; Professor, Peking UniversityProfessor Wang will discuss how the relationship between China and the United States has evolved from when both countries were allies in the war against Japan, through the Chinese Civil War and the Cold War, to the present day. Drawing on his scholarship, Wang will explore the answers to these questions: What is the legacy of post-World War II U.S.-China relations for today? How can a historical perspective from the post-WWII era and the Cold War inform how both countries navigate the contemporary environment of strategic competition?
Fireside Chat
Wang Jisi
Founding President, Institute of International and Strategic Studies; Professor, Peking University
Evan Medeiros
Professor and Penner Family Chair in Asian Studies, School of Foreign Services, Georgetown UniversityIn this conversation, leading strategic thinkers from both sides of the Pacific discuss the factors and the history behind the transformation of U.S.-China relations and each other’s foreign policy over the decades. They will explore how post-war U.S.–China cooperation unraveled into strategic confrontation; whether today’s tensions echo that rupture or represent something new; and what lessons from the Cold War might guide the choices our countries face now.
Panel Discussion: From Allies to Competitors: Tensions in the US-China Relationship
Eighty years after fighting alongside each other, the United States and China now view each other as strategic competitors. This panel of distinguished historians, former military and diplomatic officials, and policy experts examines the roots of contemporary tensions, assesses the risk of conflict, and explores whether the memory of past cooperation offers any pathway toward managing present rivalry. Panelists will provide frank assessments of trade tensions, military competition, and ideological differences, while considering what guardrails might prevent competition from escalating into confrontation.
David Finkelstein
Distinguished research fellow for National Security Affairs, Center for Naval AnalysesModerator
Carla Freeman
Director of the Foreign Policy Institute and senior lecturer for International Affairs at Johns Hopkins UniversityPanelist
Shao Yuqun
Senior research fellow, Center for American Studies at Shanghai Institutes for International StudiesPanelist
Zhang Ling
Senior Colonel (Ret.); Former associate professor, National Security College, National Defense UniversityPanelist
Film Screening: A clip from Vinegar Joe – a documentary of General Joseph Stilwell by Shirley Sun
Written, directed, and produced by Shirley Sun, Vinegar Joe is a documentary film that explores the enduring legacy of General Joseph Stilwell and the critical cooperation between the U.S. and China during World War II. Through visceral archival video and photography, the film brings the harrowing reality of the China-Burma-India Theater to life, highlighting Stilwell’s pivotal role in China’s defense against the Japanese Empire.
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This program was made possible with generous support from the Luce Foundation.