Following the November 2006 elections, the National Committee recognized an opportunity to provide a thoughtful overview of Sino-American relations for new members of Congress. To an event attended by freshmen members of Congress and members of the bi-partisan U.S.-China Working Group, the Committee invited former Secretaries of State Dr. Henry Kissinger and Dr. Madeleine Albright to lead a discussion focused on their historical dealings with China, as well as on their views about the future of this ever-important bilateral relationship.

Dr. Kissinger spoke first about his experiences with China. He also addressed some of the pressing issues, such as the massive social and economic changes, currently impacting China and the Sino-American relationship. Dr. Albright followed with comments focusing on issues affecting the future of Sino-American relations and China’s place in the global community – issues such as energy security, military growth and environmental degradation.

Although the event was off-the-record, two diplomatic correspondents, Neil King of the Wall Street Journal and Carol Giacomo of Reuters were invited to attend as observers; the former published a brief background story in the Journal’s Washington Wire Blog. See the related documents section on this page for more.