With U.S.-China relations at a crossroads, the 21st Century China Center brought together dozens of leading voices to spark bold ideas for the road ahead
The 21st Century China Center at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) once again hosted policymakers, business leaders, scholars, journalists and analysts at its annual UC San Diego Forum on U.S.-China Relations to discuss how the U.S. should approach its relationship with China. The 2025 event marked the seventh held in person on the university’s campus.
As the U.S. unrolls radical new foreign-policy and economic agendas that are already affecting its relationship with its biggest competitor, there was plenty for the participants to discuss.
However, rather than merely focusing on the diminished relationship as it currently stands, “the China Forum brings together all these individuals to chart better ways forward,” said Caroline Freund, the dean of GPS.
More than 80 participants discussed topics like China’s battle for technological supremacy in the age of artificial intelligence; the implications of the country’s demographic changes, especially in light of employment pressures faced by younger generations; and how businesses on both sides of the Pacific can adapt to the tensions between the U.S. and China.
Given the nature of the discussions, the forum, as always, followed the Chatham House rule, which allows participants to freely share insights from the forum so long as they do not disclose what specific individuals said.
“We always have fruitful discussions at the forum with our distinguished guests, whether they are new or returning participants,” said Victor Shih, professor and director of the 21st Century China Center. “But as the new Trump administration has made radical new changes to global norms at an incredible speed, we had more to talk about than ever before.”
One of the highlights of the event was the Susan Shirk Lecture on U.S.-China Relations, named in honor of the emerita professor at GPS, a pioneering scholar of China, the founding director of the 21st Century China Center and co-chair of the forum.
“The U.S. and China must find a path that delivers security and prosperity for both nations. Our shared future depends on it.”
Caroline Freund, Dean, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy
After a welcome by UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, this year’s lecture was delivered by Lael Brainard, who served as the director of the White House National Economic Council under President Joe Biden and, before that, as a vice chair of the Federal Reserve.
She discussed how the U.S. has essentially taken a U-turn on its attitude toward China’s development in the last quarter century: While the U.S. supported China’s economic growth in the early 2000s, by 2025 the relationship has turned to one of mistrust and competition.
In particular, she pointed to how China has made various efforts to undermine the centrality of the U.S. dollar in global commerce, and how the U.S.’s current priority on tariffs fails to address the threat of China’s emergence as an economic force.
Caroline Freund, dean of GPS, likewise said that this year’s event was a testament to the important role of the school’s various research centers, including the 21st Century China Center, for furthering the school’s objectives.
“GPS tackles the world’s toughest challenges head-on,” Dean Freund said. “As the two largest economies, the U.S. and China must find a path that delivers security and prosperity for both nations. Our shared future depends on it.”
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