On January 12th, 2021, the Forum on “Time for a reset? U.S.-China relations during the Biden administration” was successfully convened as part of a broader partnership between Fudan University and The University of Virginia (UVA) that has been developed in recent years to provide new opportunities for students and faculty from both universities. The Miller Center at UVA is pleased to join the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai to produce this forum.This is a hybrid event,with a live audience at Fudan University and a virtual audience in the United States and around the world,casting spotlight on how major recent developments in China and the United States raise the possibility that the Sino-U.S. relationship might now move in new and more positive directions.The first panel discusses the November 2020 elections in the United States, providing an analysis of the election campaigns, the electoral process, the outcomes of the elections and the transition from the Trump Administration to the Biden Administration. It examines the Fifth Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee in October, which discusses the foreign and domestic economic policies underlying China's new five-year plan that will begin in 2021.The second panel analyzes the implications of these events for Chinese policy toward the U.S. and American policy toward China, assessing the prospects for both changes and continuity.
The fabulous academic event featured Stephen D. Mull (Vice Provost for Global Affairs, University of Virginia), Larry J. Sabato (Founder and Director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia), Chris Lu (Teresa A. Sullivan Practitioner Senior Fellow, Miller Center, University of Virginia), Kathryn Dunn Tenpas (Practitioner Senior Fellow, Miller Center, University of Virginia), Syaru Shirley Lin(Compton Visiting Professor in World Politics, Miller Center, University of Virginia), Harry Harding (Faculty Senior Fellow, Miller Center, University of Virginia), Evan A. Feigenbaum (Practitioner Senior Fellow, Miller Center, University of Virginia), Wu Xinbo (Professor & Dean, Institute of International Studies; Director, Center for American Studies, Fudan University), Xin Qiang (Professor & Deputy Director, Center for American Studies, Fudan University) and Song Guoyou (Professor & Deputy Director, Center for American Studies, Fudan University) who probed into challenges and prospects in bilateral relations between China and the United States.
Distinguished speakers from both sides engaged in sincere and in-depth dialogues on “restarting U.S.-China relationship at a critical historical juncture", dissecting Sino-U.S. relations and setting forth insightful perceptions into future trends. Panelists forged increasing consensus on collaborative endeavors to enhance environmental protection, mitigate climate change and fight against COVID-19. The two countries are capable of resolving differences through dialogue and expanding converging interests by cooperation to jointly promote a healthy and steady China-U.S relationship. In the ensuing rounds, vibrant interactions proceeded amongst esteemed panel speakers and registered participants.
Professor Wu Xinbo and Ambassador Mull extended congratulations on the successful conclusion of the hybrid event with anticipation to facilitate wide-ranging academic exchanges and collaborations onwards.
