2023.03.27
On the 27th of March, Senior Fellow of the Paul Tsai China Centre at the University of Yale, and the Director of the Forum on Asia-Pacific Security at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy Susan Thorton paid her visit to the Grandview Institution (GVI). She spoke with the President of the GVI - Ren Libo, the Director of the Academic Committee at the GVI - Zhang Tuosheng, the Deputy Director of the Academic Committee at the GVI - Ouyang Wei, the Former Director of the Non-Governmental Foreign Policy Strategic Research Centre of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries - Li Xinyu, the Vice President of the GVI - FengWeihua, the Secretary-General of the GVI, He An, the Director of Public Affairs at the GVI - Mao Jing, the Media Manager of Public Affairs at the GVI - Zhang Jiayi and the Research Manager of Public Affairs at the GVI - Yang Xiaotong. Thorton spoke with the representatives of the GVI on matters pertaining to cooperation between Chinese and American think tanks, Sino-American relations, Cross-Strait relations, Russo-Ukrainian conflict and so on.
Thorton believes that Sino-US relations at the moment is in a vicious cycle which requires efforts from both side to break. Furthermore, both countries should place an emphasis on track II diplomacy, encourage dialogue between Chinese and American think tanks, as well as increase the level of communication and interaction between Chinese and American youths. Only then can the voices of value and the voices of reason be heard by the other side. Moreover, in order to “prevent the potential outbreak of conflict”, “both China and the United States should consider whether they should allow the continued divergence of the two countries’ national interests or strive to find common grounds, in order to achieve win-win cooperation. This is the question we should all be considering at the moment”, says Thornton.
On the Chinese side, the Chinese experts have pointed out that the Sino-American bilateral relations is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world, and its development could affect the trajectory of the entire world. In addition, China and the United States have distinctively different cultures, which means that both countries should be paying extra attention to this relationship because of the higher possibility of misunderstanding. China and the United States should keep all channels of communication open and learn to listen to the other’s opinions, because it not only constructive to do so, but it also is of utmost importance to ensuring the healthy development of Sino-American bilateral relations.