The Trump-Xi Summit

U.S.-China bilateral relations appeared to have a rocky start in the wake of then President-Elect Trump’s conversation with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. While those tensions have subsided, the relationship remains a complex and contentious one in political, economic and security terms. We assembled an impressive expert panel to assess the summit’s likely outcomes. Speakers included:

— Lt. Gen. Wallace Gregson (Ret.), Senior Director for China and the Pacific at the Center for the National Interest, a former Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Obama administration, and a former Commander of U.S. Marines in the Pacific;

— Harry Kazianis, Director of Defense Studies at the Center for the National Interest, Executive Editor of The National Interest, and a leading security analyst and commentator; and,

— Dr. Nicholas Lardy, Anthony M. Solomon Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the author of several books on China’s economy, including a prominent work on China’s exchange rate policy—a complaint of candidate Trump on the campaign trail.

Center Executive Director Paul Saunders moderated.