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

As a member of the 2023-2024 cohort of the U.S.-China Student-to-Student Dialogue, hosted by the Georgetown University Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues, all three dialogue sessions so far have been extremely engaging and allowed for interesting conversations within my groups.

The first week’s dialogue on Global South issues was particularly interesting because it allowed me to approach U.S.-China relations from a new angle, as contemporary security and policy analysts tend to treat the bilateral relationship as if it occurs within the vacuum of the Global North. When analysts do address Global South issues, they sometimes fall into the trap of treating Global South countries as background actors, simply reacting to the behavior of the United States and China. However, Global South countries are not a monolith and have their own individualized interests, values, and assets that may not be covered by either the United States or China. Both the United States and China must be conscious of this fact, especially since climate change and economic development are key priorities of many Global South countries.

The discussion on the Russia-Ukraine War in relation to the U.S.-China relationship and the Global South was particularly interesting. As an American and especially as a Georgetown student, I have seen plenty of discussion about how the Russia-Ukraine War is one of the defining moments of this decade so far. In the Global North, the repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine War are undeniable in so many aspects of daily life. However, that is not necessarily the case for Global South countries which do not have the same security stakes in the conflict and are dealing with greater existential threats such as climate change. Making the distinction between what the United States and China consider the world’s most pressing issues and what other regions consider the world’s most pressing issues was a vital point.

During the second week’s discussion on climate change, I noticed an interesting aspect of my group’s discussion. I shared my personal belief that the United States is falling behind on green technology development and that China may be the world’s leader in that industry. However, one of my group members from China shared that they believed it to be the opposite and that they don’t believe that China is quite so developed in green technology and research and development. In their opinion, the United States is the world leader in green technology. Regardless of which analysis was correct, it was interesting that both of us believed that our counterparts were more advanced than our own countries. It is always easier to identify the weaknesses and shortcomings of your own country’s system since you are more familiar with its details. Similarly, we can be quick to overestimate the strengths of our counterparts since we do not necessarily understand the ins and outs of other countries’ industries and political systems.

I really appreciate that all of the discussions so far have ended on a positive note. Even if we identify points of divergence in U.S. and Chinese interests, we are always able to come back to areas of shared interests and potential for cooperation. As my group mentioned during the week two discussion on climate change, not all issues are zero sum.

Neval Mulaomerovic (SFS'24) is senior majoring in international politics with a minor in Chinese at the Walsh School of Foreign Service.