The Most Important People in the U.S.-China AI Competition

Over the past year, China-related products, aesthetics, and digital content have gained traction in the United States, from Chinese New Year marketing campaigns and consumer brands to memes, shopping apps, tourism videos, and C-dramas. This growing visibility marks a notable shift from the intense Sinophobia that peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic and amid heightened geopolitical tensions. On August 5, 2026, Rebecca Fannin and Shaoyu Yuan discussed with Michael Berry whether these cultural influences can significantly reshape how Americans understand and relate to China. About the program: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/a-cool-cute-china-chinese-cultural-influence-in-the-united-states/

China's center-local relationship is one of the clearest signals of where the country is headed. Beijing sets broad, nationwide goals while provinces, cities, and counties decide how to carry them out. Drawing on cases from high-speed rail, the electric vehicle industry, and population policy, this conversation examines how local governments bargain to advance projects they favor while resisting objectives they do not.

By 2025, China had twice as many college students as the United States, four times as many STEM graduates, and double the number of STEM Ph.D.'s. In Higher Education in China, Gerard A. Postiglione examines the world's largest state-directed higher education system within the complex interplay of China's social, economic, and geopolitical ambitions. Dr. Postiglione describes the tension between domestic imperatives and global aspirations. As China aims to cultivate a world-class higher education system by 2035, it faces three formidable challenges: graduate employment, equitable access, and governance reform. How do both elite Chinese research institutions and rapidly expanding second- and third-tier colleges navigate these pressures amid a shifting landscape shaped by urban-rural inequality, labor market demands, and technological disruption? In an interview conducted on August 20, 2026, Dr. Gerard Postiglione joins Margot Landman to discuss how China's evolving academic system may influence its long-term trajectory and, perhaps, the global order of knowledge and innovation. About the program: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/higher-education-in-china-domestic-demands-and-global-aspirations/

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday life in China, shaping how people learn, work, communicate, and interact with technology. How are these experiences shaped by generation, geography, and access to digital technology? This conversation will explore AI's impact across Chinese society, from education and digital literacy to the future of work and workforce adaptation.

For decades, China's rapid economic rise has drawn Western businesses eager to tap its vast market — but that bilateral trade relationship is now under severe strain. Escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing are threatening global commerce and forcing businesses to fundamentally rethink their China strategies. In this conversation, National Committee President Steve Orlins interviews Ker Gibbs, former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai during the Obama, first Trump, and Biden administrations, about his new book, The Fragile Dragon: Trade, Trump, and China's Vulnerabilities. Drawing on unparalleled access to leaders on both sides of the Pacific, Gibbs examines why U.S.-China tensions have reached a breaking point and what it means for global stability. He also offers practical guidance for businesses navigating the narrow corridor between what China wants and what the United States will allow — and how to structure for resilience as the relationship grows increasingly fragile. About the speaker