NEW YORK, 10 December 2019 – Global leaders, government officials and industry experts gathered in New York City today for the South China Morning Post’s inaugural China Conference: United States, analysing the current conflict between the U.S. and China and profiling a vision for future cooperation and competition between the world’s two biggest superpowers.
The event addressed questions about the US-China trade war, its effect on the global economy, the technological race for 5G and AI supremacy and the possibility of coexistence for two competing ideologies. Other thought-provoking discussions included the future of immigration, trade and cultural exchange between the two nations.
The event featured more than 30 well-known speakers, including former Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China Dr Chen Deming who gave a keynote welcome on three perspectives on U.S.-China relations.
“Looking back on the 40 years of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S., our scientific and technological cooperation has become the most dynamic part of bilateral cooperation,” said Dr Chen Deming.
Dr Chen added: “In this relationship, there are both competition and cooperation, but we believe that competition does not necessarily lead to confrontation or conflict.”
More quotes from the event’s panel speakers are available in the factsheet below.
Said SCMP CEO Gary Liu, “As the shifts in geopolitical and economic balance continue to accelerate with the rise of China, we believe that there is an elevated need to understand the world better, with greater nuance and wider perspectives. Today’s event helped offer a deeper understanding by unpacking the complexities between the two nations, and a glimpse on how the world will be defined by these two superpowers in competition or in cooperation.”
China Conference: United States represents the next step of SCMP’s expansion in the US. Currently, one third of SCMP’s global readers reside in the United States – approximately 10 million monthly active readers – which highlights the growing demand for in-depth news coverage on the world’s second-largest economy.
China Conference: United States is the seventh edition of SCMP’s China Conference series. Next year, China Conference: Southeast Asia will convene in the Philippines on Feb 18-19, 2020 to examine the region’s growth and the future of Chinese and Southeast Asian partnerships. For more information, please click here.
About the South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post is a leading global news company that has reported on China and Asia for more than a century. Founded in 1903, SCMP is headquartered in Hong Kong, where it is the city’s newspaper of record, with a growing correspondent staff across Asia and the United States. SCMP’s vision is to “Elevate Thought” and our mission is to “Lead the global conversation about China”. Additionally, SCMP publishes a portfolio of premium lifestyle and fashion titles in
Hong Kong including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire and, Harper’s BAZAAR. SCMP is also home to Abacus, a digital news brand focused on China’s tech industry; Inkstone, a daily news brief for those curious about China’s growing impact around the world; and Goldthread, a content platform with a focus on food, travel and culture in China.
About the China Conference
South China Morning Post’s China Conference was first launched in 2015 with the aim of setting the agenda for China watchers, business leaders and government officials around the world. Convening hundreds of thought-leaders at each event, renowned experts have debated pressing issues surrounding the world’s second-largest economy, and fostered better understanding and elevated thought about China’s culture, society, industries and economy. Originally held in Hong Kong, it has branched out to Southeast Asia and now the United States in the past year. Visit the website https://us.chinaconference.scmp.com for more details.
For further information please contact: pr@scmp.com
Quotes from China Conference: United States
1) Naomi Wilson, Senior Director of Policy, Asia, Information Technology Industry Council
“I think decoupling is a very real worry. And while complete decoupling may not be possible, we’re certainly starting to see a modified decoupling through the policies and regulations that have been put forward by both governments. That’s potentially very damaging in the long run.”
2) Victor Gao, Chairman, China Energy Security Institute; Vice President, Center for China and Globalisation
“These two issues – intellectual property rights and forced technology transfer – these need to be addressed in the context of China-US trade relations.”
3) Donald J. Morrissey, Director: Congressional, State, and Local Government Affairs, Huawei Technologies (USA)
“Huawei is naked before the world. Our products have been tested more than any of our competitors by governments around the world.”
4) Dr. Robert D. Atkinson, Founder & President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
“I feel bad for Huawei, because if they were an Indonesian company, none of this would be an issue. They basically have the baggage of the Chinese government hanging over them.”
“US internet companies do not get to have business in China. So what is the possible rationale that China has for saying there are unfair practices. They simply are banned in China.”
5) Dr. Katherine Kaup, James B. Duke Professor of Asian Studies and Politics & International Affairs, Furman University
“Our two economies are intertwined and access to ideas and knowledge is crucial. We need to make sure that doesn’t change.”
6) Eric Fish, Author, China’s Millennials: The Want Generation
“Chinese students are trapped in the middle. The US is worried about Chinese influence, China is worried about what students learn abroad.”
7) Wendy Cutler, Former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; Vice President and Managing Director, Washington, D.C. Office, Asia Society Policy Institute
“My view is there are solid prospects for a conclusion of the Phase 1 deal. Both sides have said that they’re very close. But I can tell you as a trade negotiator, that last mile is always the most difficult.”
8) Kurt Tong, Partner, The Asia Group; Former U.S. Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau
“Beijing sees [the Hong Kong protests] as the West taking away a “hard-earned piece of China.””
9) Danny Russel, Vice President, International Security and Diplomacy, Asia Society Policy Institute
“We want to get out of this dueling mentality. The question is: what is it that we’re aiming for? What is it that we’re trying to achieve? What is it that we really value? It’s not a simple trade off between personal liberties and rights and the ability to prosper and the ability to break out of poverty. That’s a false choice.”
“The tremendous sensitivity of the authorities in Beijing, its absolute position that Hong Kong not merely is under the sovereignty of China but as a core interest, that no one else is entitled to an opinion and that there can only be one interpretation of what’s happening, is very troubling.”
10) Ann Lee, Author of “What the US Can Learn from China” and “Will China’s Economy Collapse?”; Foreign Policy Advisor to Andrew Yang
“Resolving the bilateral standoff requires the US to be honest about what they are willing to give up in a way to share a global stage with China, assuming that China continues to grow at its current pace and whether they’re willing to share power on various multilateral institutions. Otherwise, China will keep building its own multilateral institutions.”