Great Decisions: U.S.-China Relations

Great Decisions 2025 Topics

Week #3: Tuesday February 11, 2025 6:00PM
Winkler Activity Center at Winkler Park (Crawdads Stadium) 

U.S.-China Relations

Washington’s relations with Beijing have reached an ominous low ebb. Both American political parties have identified China as the country’s preeminent geopolitical challenger and, in the eyes of many, a systemic threat. What is driving this deterioration of Sino-American relations, and what are America’s strategic options in the face of Chinese power and ambition?

Author: Thomas J. Christensen

Week #4: Tuesday February 18, 2025 6:00PM
Winkler Activity Center at Winkler Park (Crawdads Stadium) 

International Cooperation on Climate Change

The 2015 Paris Agreement established a UN-sponsored framework for negotiations on climate change and global warming. In subsequent COP meetings, experts and political leaders have come together seeking common cause for this growing global crisis. What is the future of these efforts, and what have they yielded? What is the U.S. role in fostering cooperation on climate change? In a divided country, what are the possible futures for American policy leadership?

Author: Josh Busby 

Week #5: Tuesday February 25, 2025 6:00PM
Winkler Activity Center at Winkler Park (Crawdads Stadium) 

The Future of NATO and European Security

European security is more uncertain than it has been for decades. Putin’s Russia has launched a war with Ukraine on its doorstep, and America’s uncertain role as leader of NATO and security provider has been called into question with the failure of Congress to pass supplemental military support for Ukraine. What are Europe’s options, and how might developments on both sides of Western Europe – in Ukraine and across the Atlantic – impact its choices? What are America’s stakes in NATO and Europe’s strategic dilemmas?

Author: Kori Schake 

Week #6: Tuesday March 4, 2025 6:00PM
Winkler Activity Center at Winkler Park (Crawdads Stadium) 

AI and American National Security

The AI revolution is the leading edge of a larger high-tech revolution which promises to transform the world. Experts argue that international cooperation is needed to expand the opportunities these new technologies hold while protecting societies from their dangers. What are the key policy debates in this area, and what are the opportunities and limits on global AI rules of the road? How will the AI revolution impact American national security? What are its policy options to secure the benefits of AI and guard against its dangers?

Author: Julie George

Week #7: Tuesday March 11, 2025 6:00PM
Winkler Activity Center at Winkler Park (Crawdads Stadium) 

India: Between China, the West, and the Global South

India is an emerging major power in world affairs, occupying a pivotal position between China, the United States, and the Global South. Its population size, economy, and geopolitical location ensure that it will be an influential voice in debates and political struggles over global order. What are India’s choices and opportunities for regional and global leadership? How will it maneuver between China and the United States, and what is its role as a voice of the Global South? What opportunities exist for Washington to work with India?

Author: Leslie Vinjamuri 

Week #8: Tuesday March 18, 2025 6:00PM
Winkler Activity Center at Winkler Park (Crawdads Stadium) 

After Gaza: American Policy in the Middle East

The war in Gaza has brought the region to a crossroads. What are the possible outcomes of the war, and how might the United States use its influence to shape a long-term settlement that leaves both Israel and the Palestinians in a better position? How might Arab states in the wider region be brought into a settlement? What are America’s interests in the Middle East and how can it advance them?

Author: Daniel Kurtzer