Evening Session: Assessing US Policy Toward China: A View From Congress

Presenter: Peter Brookes, House Committee on International Relations

Presentation and Discussion: The Cox report, the PNTR vote, and the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act are just some of the recent issues that illustrate the important role of Congress in US policymaking toward China. What China-related issues will top the agenda for the 107th Congress? What new initiatives might we expect to see? What role, if any, will the Congressional-Executive Commission on the PRC (and other PNTR-related programs and task forces) likely play in shaping US policy during the next administration?

Morning Session: Examining Trends in Chinese Domestic Politics and Economics and the Potential Impact of WTO Accession

Presenters: Margaret Pearson, University of Maryland

Presentation and Discussion: The Chinese leadership confronts a range of well-known domestic challenges, including social unrest, endemic corruption, leadership succession, and an uncertain economic future. One recent report by a US investment bank suggests that 40 million people will lose their jobs in the first five years after China enters the WTO. What are the priorities of the Chinese leadership in meeting these and other challenges? What are the implications of WTO accession for the Chinese economy and society? What challenges and opportunities does China's domestic situation present for the United States?

Afternoon Session: Defining US Priorities in Sino-American Relations for the Next Administration

Presenters: Bama Athreya, International Labor Rights Fund and Phoebe Yang, US Department of State

Presentation and Discussion: How do we understand current US priorities toward China? Do we need to redefine or reorder them? What has been the impact of our previous initiatives on issues such as trade, labor, human rights, and the rule of law? In the context of our priorities and the current political and economic realities in China and the United States, what specific recommendations can we make?

In this joint session, we will discuss how and where economic issues and security issues overlap. In particular, we will consider how China's economic growth (either positive or negative) poses security concerns, how the degree to which largely "economic" concerns of development remain central to China's overall national security strategy, and where the traditional division of issue "baskets" in US policy between "economics" and "security" makes sense for the future.