Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues

As part of its U.S.-China Dialogue 2020 event series, the initiative convened leading scholars and commentators on April 16, 2020 to discuss key issues in the U.S.-China relations. This blog contains edited excerpts from the virtual event, which featured Michael Green (Georgetown University), Evan Medeiros (Georgetown University), Wang Jisi (Peking University), and Wu Xinbo (Fudan University).

Social media has been increasingly used as a means of communication between states. Political leaders and diplomats often use social media to signal intentions and engage counterparts. Social media companies like Facebook are also facing mounting criticism for their failure to censor hate speech and fake news on their platforms. How has the changing social media landscape affected international relations, especially the U.S.-China relationship? In this blog post, the student fellows were asked to discuss their views on U.S. and Chinese social media platforms, as well as their effects on diplomatic relations between the two countries.