On April 8, Tang Xiaoyang, a China Forum expert and chair of the Department of International Relations at Tsinghua University, attended the International Relations/Geopolitics Keynote Panel of the 26th Harvard College China Forum. The event also featured Graham Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School; David Firestein, president, George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations; and Jonathan Pollack, director, Center for East Asia Policy Studies. The panel was moderated by Dorinda Elliott, executive director, Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University.

Starting from the current geopolitical tensions between China and the US, the panelists explored ways to prevent war, to avoid conflict in the Taiwan Strait, and to improve China-US ties. Professor Tang pointed out that although some US politicians have deliberately stirred up confrontation between the two countries or used Taiwan for their own political gains, they have encountered resistance even in their own country; extensive cooperation between China and the US in the economic, cultural, healthcare, and educational sectors is still forging ahead, and with the right timing and political leadership, it is perfectly possible to reverse the downward spiral in the bilateral ties.

Founded in 1997, the Harvard College China Forum is North America’s leading and longest-running student-run conference on China. The Forum is dedicated to a constructive dialogue on the challenges, issues and trends affecting China, and aims to engage leaders in business, academia and politics.