Former Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton will use this talk to examine the future of U.S.-China relations. Countries have named China as a "systemic rival," and the U.S. Secretary of State says the U.S. and its allies are competing with China over the shape of the post-Cold War world order. Such phrases do little to clarify exactly what is the China challenge or threat and what we can realistically expect this contest to mean for people and problems of the world. Amid the continuing high-pitched criticisms of China's human rights, ideology, Taiwan policy, mass surveillance, intellectual property theft, military buildup and other issues, what should we do to manage the transition to a post-Cold War order with China? What are realistic expectations? Is it too late for a good outcome?

Speaker:

• Susan A. Thornton, Senior Fellow and Visiting Lecturer, Paul Tsai China Center, Yale Law School; former acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Moderator:

• Susan Shirk, Chair, 21st Century China Center, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy