US-China Diplomatic Dialogue

One of the most challenging aspects of US-China relations today is how to handle crisis situations. Given the continuing volatility of northeast Asian politics, we can anticipate future incidents comparable to the 1999 Belgrade bombing and the 2001 Hainan Island incidents. Will we be prepared to manage such future crises? The development of personal relationships between mid-career American and Chinese diplomats today can reap potential rewards five, ten years from now when they are in more senior positions managing future crises.

On October 3-6, 2007, OU hosted 14 mid-career diplomats from the US State Department and the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the inaugural US-China Diplomatic Dialogue (USCDD). USCDD focuses on process: creating an informal atmosphere in which participants can establish personal relationships while frankly exchanging their views about the bilateral relationship. The first USCDD discussed three issues: 1) Energy security and US-China relations, 2) Confidence Building and Crisis Management in US-China relations, and 3) the Taiwan Issue in US-China relations. Click on the picture below and then "slide show" at the bottom right to view a brief slide show of events.