The annual U.S.-China People’s Dialogue brings together leading American and Chinese voices to examine the value of bilateral people-to-people connections and explore ways to slow, if not reverse, the alarming trust deficit and downward spiral that has taken hold as a dominant narrative in Sino-American relations over the last dozen years.
Launched in 2023 and jointly organized by NCUSCR and Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy, the dialogue draws participants from business, culture, sports, education, and other non-government fields. Together they explore why so much goodwill and achievement built up over 40 years of broad, deep bilateral engagement have seemingly been eclipsed by rising mutual threat perceptions, and how people-to-people exchange can be more effectively promoted and amplified in both countries, including among younger generations, in the current geopolitical environment.
Program History
2025 U.S.-China People’s Dialogue: Bridging the Cultural and Informational Divide
LOS ANGELES | NOVEMBER 16-19, 2025
The 2025 P2P dialogue explored the bilateral convergence and/or divergence occurring in higher education, artificial intelligence, pop culture, and social media. Participants examined the political, economic, cultural, and technological forces taking hold in each country that have helped shape current conditions, and considered pathways forward that would strengthen the bilateral P2P ties.
Now in its third year, P2P has matured more into a traditional Track II. Thirteen Americans and twelve Chinese participated in structured, facilitated, in-depth discussions — a format that replaced the earlier paired presentation approach. Each session opened with a few speakers offering seeding comments, and the sessions were interspersed with remarks and discussion led by Steve Orlins, Da Wei, Abigail Washburn, Tian Wei, and Xiao Qian. View the complete participant bios.
| HIGHER EDUCATION: Yang Bing and Mary Gallagher | POLITICAL FACTORS: Xie Tao and Robert Daly |
| ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Kevin Xu and Xue Lan | ECONOMIC FACTORS: Nicholas Borst and Gong Jiong (John) |
| POP CULTURE: Jiang Wen and Clayton Dube | CULTURAL FACTORS: Da Wei and Calire Conceison |
| SOCIAL MEDIA: Jesse Appell and Xu Tao | TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS: Samm Sacks and Zhao Hai |
| TRADE, ECONOMICS, AND DIPLOMACY: Craig Allen and Zhang Jianping | RESPONSIBILITIES OF A (LOWER-CASE “D”) DIPLOMAT: Abigail Washburn and Wang Fuqu (Crystal) |
| CHINESE DIASPORA: Ming Hsieh, Kevin Xu, and Fan Yang | A NATIVE OF BEIJING IN NEW YORK (北京人在纽约) CAST REUNION: Robert Daly and Jiang Wen |
2024 U.S.-China People’s Dialogue: Charting a Path Forward
BEIJING | NOVEMBER 20-23, 2024
The second annual dialogue explored the value and impact of bilateral exchange in different aspects of society, culture, and the economy. Fourteen pairs of Americans and Chinese experts participated. See complete speaker bios and listen to dialogue remarks.
| DIPLOMACY: Charlene Barshefsky, Fu Ying, Stephen Orlins, Zhu Min | HIGHER EDUCATION: Yang Bin, Jeffrey Lehman |
| TOURISM & ECOLOGY: Zhang Mei, Douglas Morris | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT: Alison Friedman, Liu Tianchi |
| ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Kevin Xu, Zhan Xianyuan | TRANSNATIONAL MARRIAGE: Li Yanying (Caroline), Cameron Johnson, John Osburg |
| LONG-TERM RESIDENTS: Gong Jiong, David Moser | BUILDING ENTERPRISES OVERSEAS: Roberta Lipson, Wu Tao |
| FOOD: Michael Rosenblum, Cao Yu | U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS: Li Cheng, Amy Celico |
| BUSINESS & INVESTMENT: Deng Feng, Ming Hsieh | CULTURAL EXCHANGE: Pamela Leonard, Yuan Ming |
| SPORTS: Logan Tom, Yao Ming | SOCIAL MEDIA: Paul Ashton, Xu Tao |
2023 U.S.-China People’s Dialogue: Our Stories, Our Ideas
NEW YORK CITY | OCTOBER 23-24, 2023
The inaugural dialogue brought together 12 pairs of Americans and Chinese experts with similar expertise for a two-day, off-the-record discussion of the value of bilateral connections and what could be lost if those bonds were further damaged or severed before a curated audience of Americans.
In addition to the pairings listed below, the program featured remarks and discussions led by Robert Daly, Zhu Min, Thomas Friedman, and Lu Mai. Check out the complete speaker bios.
| HIGHER EDUCATION: William Kirby and Xue Lan | BUILDING ENTERPRISES ABROAD: Cao Dewang and Ernie Thrasher |
| LITERARY ARTS: Hao Jingfang and Peter Hessler | VOICES OF THE PEOPLE: Finn Murphy and Wang Jibing |
| BUSINESS PLUS: Merit Janow and Wang Boming | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Jim Breyer and Zhang (Angela) Huyue |
| CLIMATE CHANGE: Deborah Seligsohn and Teng Fei | INSURANCE/SERVICE INDUSTRY: Chen Dongsheng and Evan G. Greenberg |
| VISUAL ARTS: Cai Guo-qiang and Stephen Little | SPORTS: (conducted at the 2023 Gala) Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming |
| FIRST- AND SECOND-GENERATION VOICES: Angela Chao and Ming Hsieh | PHILANTHROPY: Niu Gensheng and Louise Richardson |
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