Let Chinese, US scholars lead the way to cooperation

AT A time when the US-China relationship seems to be drifting, with the very clear potential of a steep downward slide, possibly sparked by events in North Korea, it is encouraging to learn that specialists from think-tanks in both countries have worked together for the past year to analyse knotty issues besetting the relationship and have now published parallel reports with their observations.

In July, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC launched a major report on US-China relations written by a group of specialists drawn from some of the leading American think-tanks. At the same time, a parallel Chinese report, released in May, was also posted on the CSIS website.

John Hamre, CSIS president, disclosed that Fu Ying, chair of the foreign relations committee of China's National People's Congress, approached him in May 2016 and proposed that scholars in both countries should take a look at the bilateral relationship. In the end, it was decided to focus on five aspects of the relationship: economic relations, Asia-Pacific security issues, military relations, global governance and domestic political issues.