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

Growing up in the purple state of Michigan, I was taught one rule above all others: never talk about politics at the table. Political conversations were something you slowly eased into with people you trusted, if you had them at all, and certainly not something you led with when meeting someone new. The U.S.–China Student Dialogue immediately broke that norm. Rather than skirting around difficult topics, the program begins with a cold plunge into the most contentious issues shaping the relationship between two global powers, creating space for more thoughtful, constructive ideas to emerge over time.

The U.S.-China Dialogue gave us the opportunity to connect with students from Peking University late on Wednesday evenings throughout the fall. For ninety minutes each meeting, we logged onto Zoom to exchange perspectives, learned how Chinese students viewed the United States, and reflected on the broader relationship between our two countries.

The first dialogue, centered on U.S.-China competition, initially felt a bit daunting. Under the Trump administration, much of the American conversation about China had been shaped by ideas of rivalry and uncertainty. At Georgetown, especially within the School of Foreign Service and the Business School, China frequently appears in coursework as a strategic competitor or economic challenge. My own academic research through the Mortara Undergraduate Research Fellowship examines the “China Shock” and its effects on American manufacturing hubs like my hometown of Detroit. Thus, because so much of my education had framed the United States and China in competitive terms, it initially felt unfamiliar to approach the topic as a shared conversation rather than a debate.

However, the initial uncomfortability did not last long. During the first Zoom, one of the Georgetown students joked that being back on Zoom felt like a return to the height of COVID, which prompted smiles from the students at Peking University and immediately shifted the mood. From there, we were able to move into a more human conversation about how both countries often position themselves against one another and externalize blame for internal challenges. In that moment, it became clear that we shared far more common beliefs than we had initially expected.

In the second dialogue, which focused on trade relationships, the conversation naturally expanded to green energy. We joked about stereotypes of Americans driving large gasoline trucks and introduced the students from Peking University to the trope of the blue-collar man in a pickup, which sparked group laughter. In return, they shared how government investment in China has supported electric vehicles and driven the rapid growth of technology hubs. Together, we explored differing energy policies, discussed how both the U.S. and Chinese governments have invested in green energy, and considered potential areas for collaboration between the two countries.

By the final dialogue, which focused on technology and artificial intelligence, everyone was noticeably more comfortable. We laughed about students using artificial intelligence (AI) to write essays and professors using AI to grade them, creating a seemingly endless cycle of machines checking machines. We also discussed how technology regulation remains an active debate among technocrats and policymakers in the United States, while the students from Peking University shared how China’s stricter regulatory approach has produced a different set of consequences, both domestically and globally.

While virtual exchanges can often feel impersonal, these Zoom conversations instead revealed how much connected us. From struggling to mute microphones to interrupting one another and laughing about it, we shared a steady stream of small, human moments. Although the in-person component of the dialogue will undoubtedly be incredible, these Zooms laid the foundation for trust and familiarity. By engaging in difficult conversations early on, we were able to move past discomfort and toward a more human understanding, one rooted not just in diplomacy, but in empathy.

Solene DeGaynor (SFS/B'27) is a student at Georgetown University studying business and global affairs.