GVI Successfully Organized the First "Third Place Forum on Sino-US Relations"

From December 2 to 4, GVI successfully held the first "Third Place Forum on China-US Relations" at Sejong Institute in Korea. The forum, initiated by GVI, is an annual Track 2 dialogue program on China-U.S. relations. Each year, a third country that has a significant impact on China-US relations is selected for a forum, where experts from the two countries and the host state are convened for in-depth discussions on the key issues of the year in Sino-US relations and Sino-US +X relations. Seoul was picked out this year in light of the significant changes in recent years in China-ROK relations, US-Japan-ROK relations, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, as well as their profound impact on China-US ties and the security and stability of Northeast Asia.

The session lasted for three days, with the first two centered on China-US relations and the last elaborating on China-US-ROK relations. Experts from China, United States, and South Korea shed light on 1) China-US relations after the APEC Summit; 2) Challenges to China-US relations in 2024; 3) Opportunities to improve China-US relations in 2024; 4) Strategies to deal with challenges or obstacles to China-US relations; 5) Impacts of China-US relations on and challenges posed by third countries; 6) Economic issues of the Korean Peninsula and their impact on Northeast Asia; and 7) Security of the Korean Peninsula and its influence on Northeast Asia, with keynote speeches, expert comments, and group workshops. The attendees were enthusiastic about the event and actively contributed candid views. The atmosphere of the conference was congenial but practical, relaxed but rigorous.

Experts from the three countries reached the following consensus on the designated issues:

First, no matter how bad and complicated the China-US and China-US-South Korea relations are, the Track-2 dialogue shouldn’t be suspended. The three countries should strengthen the dialogues in various fields, with various forms, and at various levels, including communication between the think tanks.

Second, China, the United States, and South Korea should not simply dodge conflicts and contradictions; they should also seek common interests. For instance, regarding the security and stability of the Korean Peninsula, they should explore cooperation in a rational and pragmatical manner.

Thirdly, they should strengthen crisis management, set up "guardrails" in some important fields and regions to prevent conflicts from occurring and escalating and establish crisis communication and coordination mechanisms at all levels.

This forum was initiated and hosted by GVI, co-organized by the US Pax Sapiens Foundation and Sejong Institute of Korea, and partially supported by the Pacific Foundation for International Exchange.

List of Participants

From the U.S.A.

Dennis Wilder, Senior Fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues, Georgetown University; Former Director for China, National Security Council (NSC)  

Joseph DeTrani, Advisory Board Member, Sandia National Laboratories, Special Adviser to the Director of National Intelligence, and former U.S. Special Envoy for Six-Party Talks

David Rank, Senior Advisor and head of the China Practice at the Cohen Group; former U.S. Chargé d'affaires in China 

Lai Leung-hang, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Group; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Keith Luce, Executive Director, U.S. National Committee on North Korea

Yanran Xiao, Senior Analyst for China, Crisis Group

Yang Ma, Co-Founder, Macro Polo Think Tank, Paulson Institute

From South Korea

Lee Sang-hyun, President of Sejong Institute and President of the Korea Nuclear Policy Society (KNPS)

Lim Sung-nam, Former First Minister of Foreign Affairs and Permanent Representative of South Korea to ASEAN

Kim Heung-gyu, Founder of the U.S.-China Policy Institute and Professor at Asia University in Korea

Tae Bong-geun, Professor Emeritus, Korea National Diplomatic Academy

Lee Dong-min, Professor, Dankook University, Korea

Jung Jae-hyung, Director of the Security Strategy Research Office and Director of the China Research Center, Sejong Institute, Korea

Kwon Bo-ran, Researcher, Center for Security and Strategic Studies, National Defense Research Institute, Korea

From China

Zhang Tuosheng, Chief Researcher, Director, Center for Northeast Asian Studies, GVI

Ouyang Wei, Deputy Director of the Academic Committee and Director of the Center for Borderland Studies, GVI

Li Xinyu, Vice President of GVI and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development Studies

Jia Qingguo, Professor, School of International Relations, Peking University

Shen Dingli, Academic Committee Member of GVI, Professor Emeritus of Fudan University

Fan Gaoyue, Senior Researcher of GVI

Li Nan, Deputy Director of the Center for Northeast Asian Studies at GVI and Senior Researcher at the Institute of American Studies, CASS.