45 years into the China-US diplomatic relationship, the two countries have been navigating through some rough waters in recent years. Are the two countries on an inevitable collision course? Can the two countries be in a competition racing to the top, or does it have to be a race to the bottom?

Joining China Forum today is Ms. Susan Thornton, a retired senior U.S. diplomat with almost three decades of experience with the US State Department in Eurasia and East Asia. Ms. Thornton is currently a Senior Fellow at the Yale Law School Paul Tsai China Center. 

We caught up with Ms. Susan Thorton on the sidelines of the 6th International Forum on Security and Strategy organized by CISS, Tsinghua University in late March. For enlightening answers to all these questions and more, here is Ms.Thornton.