美中全球议题对话项目

Discussing U.S.-China relations in China just one day after the Trump-Xi summit had never felt more relevant. As a part of the U.S.-China Student Dialogue, my cohort and I traveled to China, meeting with students and scholars and learning about the U.S.-China relationship. Over eight days—four in Beijing with Tsinghua University students and four in Hong Kong with University of Hong Kong students—I came to a conclusion that I had not fully expected: dialogue is indispensable for the future of U.S.-China relations.

As a part of the global governance group with Tsinghua University students in Beijing, we discussed the U.S.-China relationship and how it shapes the global order, with a particular focus on the Global South, climate change, and current events. Much of the discourse I have encountered in the United States emphasizes strategic competition and geopolitical tensions when discussing U.S.-China relations, leaving relatively little room to consider areas of cooperation; however, the conversations in Beijing offered a contrast to these narratives. Rather than emphasizing areas of disagreement, we explored where the two countries could collaborate to create a positive change in the world. These perspectives were not only intellectually engaging but were also refreshing, as I have felt that discussing collaboration between the two countries is not common in the United States. We agreed that while the United States and China may not see eye to eye on every issue, the Trump-Xi summit marked a meaningful step forward in finding avenues of future cooperation and in progressing the relationship.

This idea was reinforced in our conversations at the University of Hong Kong, where we discussed in depth the future of U.S.-China bilateral engagement and how our generation can play a role in shaping it. From technology to United Nations involvement to education, we identified many areas where the two countries could collaborate. However, I realized that a lack of dialogue between the two countries has left a lack of information about the United States in China and, conversely, about China in the U.S. that has contributed to the deepened competition between the U.S. and China. Dialogues like the Georgetown Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues—not just between leaders but between students and aspiring leaders—must continue in order to begin to bridge the information gap.

In just eight days, I redefined how I think about diplomacy: as something that begins with dialogue itself. What I found in Beijing and Hong Kong was that trust and collaboration between the United States and China start with open and honest dialogue. However, it cannot just happen between leaders, for it must happen at every level, from leading scholars to students to everyday people. By building a genuine understanding of the U.S.-China relationship at every level, the two countries can begin to collaborate to resolve global issues that neither can solve alone. As I enter my final year at Georgetown, I hope to carry with me my biggest takeaway from Beijing and Hong Kong: diplomacy begins with a willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue.

Sarah Lyons (SFS'27) is a student at Georgetown University studying regional studies with a concentration in Asia and Europe and minoring in Japanese and government.