Promoting Bilateral People-to-People Exchange Amid Rising China-U.S. Strategic Competition

Amid the escalating trade war and a growing Washington consensus on a hardline China policy, the China-U.S. relationship has entered a prolonged period of strategic competition and uncertainty. Strengthening cultural and people-to-people exchange at the sub-national level may serve as an important means of stabilizing the increasingly unpredictable bilateral relationship. Yet, while economic ties continue to expand between Chinese provinces and cities and their American counterparts, bilateral cultural and people-to-people exchange has lagged far behind, partly due to a lack of understanding of Chinese provincial and local governments about how American society is changing, especially with regard to political and electoral realignments that underpin the Trump presidency. To mitigate the mentality of rising strategic competition on both sides and build a solid ground for a more durable China-U.S. relationship, the Chinese central, provincial and local governments need to foster a better understanding of American society and improve the institutions and approaches that support enhancement of the bilateral cultural and people-to-people exchange.