An Online Conference on "Taiwan Issues and U.S.-China Relations" with the US-based Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

On September 4, 2023, GVI and the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft held an online conference on "Taiwan Issues and U.S.-China Relations".

Participants from the U.S. side include:

Michael Swaine, Senior Fellow, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft;

Richard Bush, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution;

Mike Mochizuki, Chair Professor of Japanese Security Studies, George Washington University;

James Park, Senior Fellow, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft;

Participants from the Chinese side include:

Zhang Tuosheng, Director of the Academic Committee and Director of the Center for Northeast Asian Studies, GVI;

Fan Gaoyue, Senior Fellow, GVI;

Zhao Hai, Member of the Academic Committee of GVI;

Liu Xiaobo, Director of Center for Oceanic Studies, GVI;

Yi Wushuang, Researcher, Center for Oceanic Studies, GVI.

The meeting was moderated by Zhu Junwei, Director of the Center for American Studies, GVI.

The online dialogue session focused on two topics: first, the relationship between the 2024 local elections in Taiwan (as well as the U.S. presidential election) and mainland China and U.S. policy toward Taiwan, and its impact on future U.S.-China relations; and second, the impact of the trilateral partnership recently established by the U.S., South Korea, and Japan at Camp David on the Taiwan issues and U.S.-China relations.

The experts agreed that at present, the outcome of Taiwan's local elections and the U.S. presidential election is still highly variable, and no matter which U.S. political party's candidate wins, it is very likely that the one-China policy will be maintained. In order to get China-U.S. relations out of the deadlock, the two sides should try to find points of cooperation. Through practical cooperation, it will be proved that there is still a facet of "cooperation" in the relationship, rather than only "competition". Chinese experts were cautious about the establishment of a trilateral partnership between the United States, Japan, and South Korea. And they questioned the intentions of the three parties. The American experts, including one of Japanese descent and one of Korean descent, tried to answer the questions, saying that the US, Japan, and South Korea would like to enhance understanding with the Chinese side, minimize misinformation and miscalculations, and work together to maintain peace and stability in the region.