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

We held our first dialogue with Peking University students two days after the 2024 U.S. elections. Observing the elections from our respective capitals provided each of us with a unique vantage point. It allowed us to hear firsthand impressions of the atmosphere in both Washington, DC, and Beijing. We debated about how U.S.-China relations would evolve under a new Trump presidency. We also identified and compared the priorities of the incoming Donald Trump administration with those of the Joe Biden administration.

Our varied perspectives still led to one conclusion: we have entered an age of competition. Whether it was “Buy American” under Biden, “America First” under Trump, or “Made in China” under Chinese President Xi Jinping, protectionism and restrictive industrial policy are back in fashion.

Europe reflects this trend as well. Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine put an end to the German doctrine of Wandel durch Handel—change through trade. As a result, competition now goes hand in hand with reexamining dependencies and building self-reliance. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underscored this reality in Davos this year, when she declared, “The world is changing. So must we.”

Global institutions are crumbling. The World Trade Organization, once a cornerstone of economic integration, is being abandoned.

Nevertheless, interconnectivity is here to stay. Global cooperation has never been more essential in addressing the existential threat of climate change. As unprecedented breakthroughs emerge, the need for a comprehensive framework to govern technology and artificial intelligence has never been more urgent.

The U.S.-China Student Dialogue provides students an avenue to explore how, despite this global trend, we can still identify areas for cooperation and reinvent global competition. I hope our dialogues will help find solutions that support fair competition, where opportunities within the rule-based international order remain open.

What could Beijing do to convince Washington that it has leveled its playing field? And how could the United States build its “high fence” without upending the global economic order?

Our latest discussion touched on the benefits of competition in the climate arena, ranging from producing cleaner energy to fostering sustainable practices. By competing fairly, the United States and China could push each other to achieve greater global progress and innovation.

Competition between the United States and China in providing aid and infrastructure to the developing world could stimulate the global economy and alleviate poverty. Despite setbacks from the dismantling of USAID, the United States must recognize its global responsibilities.

People in “this town” often say that playing the game in great power competition involves scoring to win and sometimes winning by slowing your opponent down. After all, it is a competition. It makes sense to do both. Yet at the same time, the world cannot afford to be held back. We share a collective responsibility to uphold the rules of the game while also adapting and agreeing to new ones when necessary—before it is too late.

Andy Xu Sofia (SFS'26) is a student at Georgetown University studying International Political Economy.