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

Established in 2020, the U.S.-China Student Dialogue promotes communication and exchange between U.S. and Chinese students, identifying both challenges in the bilateral relationship and constructive ways forward. The 10-day visit to Beijing and Hong Kong marks the second student dialogue trip hosted by the initiative during the 2024-2025 academic year, following a trip to Beijing and Shanghai organized in March 2025.

Georgetown and Tsinghua Students Engage in Dialogue

Before departing for China, the Georgetown students met with their Tsinghua University peers over a series of four virtual dialogue sessions during the spring 2025 semester. The dialogues featured remarks from leading scholars at Georgetown and Tsinghua followed by student-led discussions in breakout rooms. The sessions covered a broad range of topics defining the future of U.S.-China relations. “As we discussed global issues such as Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine war, to even more grounded topics like our experiences growing up in our respective countries, I couldn’t help but think how wonderfully rare it was for American and Chinese citizens to connect so meaningfully in a world that conditions us to view one another as adversaries,” Tiffany Cowan (SFS’25) said. 

Following the virtual dialogues, the students arrived at Tsinghua University’s campus in Beijing where they launched into in-person dialogues. The dialogues culminated in a final workshop presentation, where groups focused on five different aspects of the U.S.-China relationship—peace and security, business and trade, climate change, global governance, and technology—presented their recommendations for constructively navigating the future of U.S.-China relations. To conclude the program, the Georgetown and Tsinghua students shared their student dialogue experiences with the local Georgetown community at an event hosted by the Georgetown Alumni Club in Beijing. 

Outside of the formal student dialogue, the students attended briefings with leading scholars from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the National Development and Reform Commission. Students also joined their Tsinghua peers on cultural tours exploring the imperial gardens at the Summer Palace and hiking the stone pathways at the Great Wall of China. Isabella Stratta (SFS’25) appreciated how the informal opportunities enriched the experience of the dialogues overall: 

“Getting to know the Tsinghua students not just as peers in a structured dialogue, but as individuals with specific backgrounds, goals, and everyday experiences made the exchange feel more honest and more grounded. Practicing intellectual empathy wasn’t abstract—it meant being present in those moments, asking better questions, and listening with an openness to be challenged.”​

Dialogue and Exchanges in Hong Kong

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, the students engaged in another student dialogue with peers from the Center on Contemporary China and the World (CCCW) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). The session opened with a fireside chat on pathways forward in the U.S.-China relationship featuring Evan Medeiros, director of Asian studies at Georgetown and senior fellow with the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues, and Li Cheng, director of CCCW at HKU. 

Following the talk, the Georgetown and HKU students worked together in small groups to develop creative solutions for navigating the future of U.S.-China relations. Sharing readouts of their meetings, the students identified several challenges facing the relationship, ranging from strategic distrust and domestic politics on both sides to tensions over Taiwan, but also highlighted avenues for preventing further deterioration in the relationship, such as increasing educational exchanges and identifying shared interests in areas like climate change, nuclear stability, and long-term artificial intelligence safety standards.