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Policy Involvement

 Center for Analysis of U.S. Grand Strategy
RAND Corporation 

Three-month Summer Associate Program with RAND’s Center for Analysis of U.S. Grand Strategy. Evaluated competing claims regarding effect of past actions on U.S. credibility, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods. Analyzed history of U.S. defense relationship with Taiwan, as well as expected regional reactions to possible adjustments in the relationship.

 US-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue Project 

National Committee on American Foreign Policy

Six-month, part-time research project to assess the results of the US-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue (S&ED) from 2010-2016. Investigated the implementation of dialogue outcomes and corresponding benefits to U.S. national interests and the American people. Final report focused on illustrative case studies of the Strategic & Economic Dialogue projects and their long-term value. The research team also outlined best practices in U.S.-China diplomacy from the Strategic & Economic Dialogue and suggested policy recommendations for the current administration to advance dialogue and diplomacy based on the experiences of the Strategic & Economic Dialogue. 

Founded by IGCC Director Emeritus Susan Shirk and now led by IGCC Director Tai Ming Cheung,  this unique multilateral forum involves high-level policymakers, defense ministry officials, military officers, and researchers from China, Japan, North and South Korea, Russia, and the United States. NEACD seeks to reduce the risk of military conflict in the region and to lay the groundwork for an official multilateral process in Northeast Asia. NEACD has proven its value as the only ongoing regular channel of informal communication among the six governments.

Concurrent with the Northeast Asian Cooperation Dialogue, the University of California’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation produces a successively updated Defense Transparency Index for the six major states involved in the region: the Republic of Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, People’s Republic of China, United States of America, Russian Federation, and Japan. The Defense Transparency Index was recently updated for the first time since early 2016—after a period of major changes in world politics---and revealed a substantial decrease in defense transparency over the time period. Given the recent surge in tensions in the region—increased competition between the United States and China over trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and other areas, the formal termination of the INF Treaty between the United States and Russia, and continued tensions on the Korean Peninsula—the simultaneous decrease in defense transparency is not surprising, but nonetheless concerning.

UC San Diego Forum On U.S.-China Relations (Rapporteur)

The UC San Diego Forum on U.S.-China Relations is the first ongoing high-level forum focused entirely on the U.S.-China relationship. It takes advantage of UC San Diego’s location on the Pacific and the depth of China expertise at the 21st Century China Center at the School of Global Policy and Strategy. The relationship between the United States and China is the most important, difficult and vital bilateral relationship in the world today. Given the rapid changes taking place in U.S.-China relations, the question of how to preserve a foundation for cooperation between the two nations while also competing with each other has never been more urgent. The UC San Diego Forum on U.S.-China Relations will convene on a regular basis for broad-minded strategic discussions on the relationship among leaders in various sectors of American society. It is co-chaired by Stephen Hadley, Susan Shirk and Kurt Campbell, three veteran policymakers and students of China, and attended by thought leaders from a broad spectrum of backgrounds.

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