The US-China Podcast

Following the Trump–Xi meeting in mid-May, officials in both the United States and China started describing bilateral ties as "a constructive relationship of strategic stability." However, both countries have different views of what this term means and its implications for U.S.-China relations. While the United States does not see a large difference between "strategic stability" and its other recent approaches to China, China views this new term as an acknowledgement of its superpower status on the global stage. Is the U.S.-China relationship entering a new phase or is this simply a new rhetorical framing? ...

Countries across the globe are increasingly focused on the Arctic due to its expanding shipping routes, vast natural resources, and cutting-edge scientific research opportunities. China views the Arctic as a critical new frontier for its economic and geostrategic opportunities. Since China isn't geographically located in the Arctic, it must work with other nations, like Russia, to achieve its aims in the region. However, Chinese engagement in the Arctic has been met with skepticism, especially from the United States and European nations weary of China's relationship with Russia and the impact of China's economic activity on their own industries.  Eliz...

As AI technologies become increasingly sophisticated, the United States and China are vying to win this technology competition. Both countries have different approaches and strengths in their development, deployment, and regulation of AI – the United States is recognized as leading in advanced AI development and China in industrial AI integration. Although perceptions of AI differ between people, companies, and the government in the United States and China, a shared anxiety exists among both populations over the effects this technology will have on their lives.   Yi-Ling Liu joined us on June 10, 2026 to share similarities and differences between the ways people in the United States an...

CHINA Town Hall (CTH), a program that provides a snapshot of the current U.S.-China relationship and examines how that relationship reverberates at the local level – in our towns, states, and nation – connects people around the country with U.S. policymakers and thought leaders on China.   The 2026 CHINA Town Hall program took place on Tuesday, April 7, at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, with two veteran senior diplomats discussing the current state and future trajectory of the U.S.-China relationship: Stephen Biegun, former U.S. deputy secretary of state, and Sarah Beran, former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. E...

China's role in the Middle East and North Africa has grown in recent years as Beijing has expanded its engagement in energy, trade, infrastructure, and diplomacy across the region. At the same time, Middle Eastern and North African governments are assessing what deeper ties with China can offer and where Beijing's influence still falls short. What draws China to the Middle East and North Africa, what is its strategy there, and how are shifts in U.S. policy shaping Beijing's regional approach?  Chuchu Zhang joined us on March 24, 2026 to discuss China's interests in the Middle East an...

China is the largest manufacturer, installer, and user of clean energy and electric vehicles., At the same time, it emits more greenhouse gasses than any other country. While efforts to work with the United States on climate issues have stalled in recent years, a combination of grass roots activism and long term government policy are driving China's environmental movement forward. How does China approach environmentalism? Can the United States and China resume cooperation on climate? Alex Wang joined us on April 1, 2026 to discuss these questions and share how climate policy differs between the Uni...

Educational exchange is a primary way for American and Chinese people to interact with each other, creating opportunities to build common ground. However, both the United States and Chinese governments are hindering and restricting educational exchange opportunities by limiting interactions and complicating bureaucratic processes. Despite these hurdles, opportunities persist for U.S.-China collaboration, especially in the nonprofit and business sectors. Can educational exchange between the United States and China stay afloat amid changing U.S.-China relations?  Rosie Levine joined us on March 9, 2026 to explain why educational exchange between the United States and China is im...

Inequality in the United States and China remains problematic as policymakers grapple with high costs, tepid employment, and an uncertain global economy. Social policy scholars work to highlight the visible and invisible factors contributing to inequality in both countries. Common solutions have emerged over time like a focus on children's education and women's empowerment. Despite best efforts, common challenges have also persisted. While cultural contexts differ, the shared fight against poverty and other forms of inequality could provide a basis for collaborative U.S.-China efforts in the future.  Qin Gao joined us on Feb 26, 2026 to...

Read China & the Hill on Substack China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.

David M. Lampton and Wang Jisi co-authored an article published in the March/April 2026 issue of Foreign Affairs in which they argue that the character of the U.S.-China bilateral relationship has changed profoundly. In the early 2010s the two countries moved from cautious engagement with each other to tense rivalry. Each sees the other as the primary threat to its core values, political legitimacy, and vital national interests. It is possible, however, to stabilize and normalize the bilateral relationship by making room for each other in the international system and regional security architectures. <...

Read China & the Hill on Substack China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.

China's development investments across the African continent have had global ramifications. Inspired by the ability to use language to build bridges, NCUSCR staff Lizabeth Bamgboye discusses her experience studying China and its impact on Africa and the wider African diaspora. As a Nigerian-American Lizabeth reflects on how different countries learn about China and what that means for diplomatic ties.  Lizabeth Bamgboye joined us on February 5, 2026 to share how her experiences shape her potential to work in the development space with a focus on China-Africa collaboration.  See the speaker's bio and watch the video here <

Read China & the Hill on Substack China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.

Fourteen years ago, nearly 15,000 Americans were studying abroad in China – but now the number is less than 2,000. Fewer economic opportunities for Americans in China and changing U.S. perceptions of China are partially to blame for this decline, but the need for China expertise, particularly to craft effective foreign policy, is growing as China continues to rise. However, the U.S. government has shuttered or slowed some of the paths people used to take to study China, such as the Fulbright and Peace Corp program. Why does the United States need China expertise and what does its loss mean for U.S. foreign policy? <...

🚨 Check out the new China & the Hill Legislation Database! 🚨 China & the Hill is now on Substack China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.

🚨 Check out the new China & the Hill Legislation Database! 🚨 China & the Hill is now on Substack China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.

100,000 fewer Chinese international students are in the United States compared to 2019, and this trend is showing no signs of slowing. These students are a major economic driver in small college towns and large cities across the United States. In 2024, Chinese international students had an estimated $14.6 billion-dollar economic impact in the United States through tuition and living costs alone. They also greatly add to the science and engineering field

On January 3, 2026, the United States launched a military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicholas Maduro and an escalation in U.S.-Venezuela tensions. This intervention has sparked intense global debate – raising questions about international law, sovereignty, and the use of force. It also highlighted the broader implications of intensifying U.S.–China competition across Latin America. In an event held on January 9, 2026, Margaret Myers and Tong Zhao, in conversation with Jesse Marks, discuss how this unexpected U.S. military action is reshaping strategic calculations in Beijing and Washington, what it may signal fo...

Smart Rabbits: American Small Businesspeople, Trade Wars, and the Future of U.S.-China Relations looks at how small businesses navigate the intricate web of U.S.-China relations. Author Douglas Barry captures the voices of entrepreneurs whose daily lives reflect the larger narrative of economic interdependence and geopolitical tension, profiling American small business owners who forge connections, foster trade, and find innovative solutions despite trade wars, policy shifts, and cultural barriers. The book offers insights into how small businesses are affected by and influence global politics, and provides fresh perspectives on the U.S.-China relationship...

The Party's Interests Come First is the first English-language biography of Xi Zhongxun, the father of China's current leader, Xi Jinping. It is both a story of the Chinese revolution and the first several decades of the People's Republic of China and a personal account of developing one's own sense of identity within a larger political context. Drawing on an array of documents, interviews, diaries, and periodicals, Joseph Torigian introduces Xi Zhongxun. He helped build the Communist base area that saved Mao Zedong in 1935, worked closely with top leaders Zhou Enlai and Hu Yaobang, and oversaw the Special Economic Zones th...