U.S.-China Policy Under Obama

On Wednesday, June 17, 2009, Ambassador Frank Lavin discussed U.S.-China relations under the Obama administration with Steve Clemons, director of the New America Foundation’s American Strategy Program.

Lavin explained that policy changes are occurring both in the United States and in China, partly due to the change in U.S. administration but also due to the global economic crisis.

From Lavin’s perspective, “the definition of China’s international role” represents one of the major challenges of our era. He discussed the potential for the United States and China to collaborate on third country issues such as North Korea or Iran and also discussed several possible areas of contention between the two countries, such as climate change protocols.

As a result of the global economic crisis, Lavin believes China is moving away from a Western, market economy and beginning to develop its own standards. Lavin noted Obama’s efforts to engage in “regularized, serious, high-level diplomacy” in China and expressed confidence in the Obama administration, stating, “so far so good…there’s a good Asia team on board.”

The question and answer session that followed included a discussion of how the United States should best address human rights in China, whether or not the United States is putting too much emphasis on relations with China and neglecting relations with long-time allies such as Japan and the United Kingdom, and the ways in which both the Chinese and American spheres of influences are evolving.

- -Event summary by Caroline Esser, Intern, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation

Participants

Franklin L. Lavin
Chairman, Public Affairs Practice, Edelman Asia Pacific
Former Ambassador to Singapore
Former Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade

moderator
Steve Clemons
Director, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation
Publisher, TheWashingtonNote.com