Years after the war. And a congressional briefing on internet defamation lawsuits and their impact on freedom of speech. This aoefrbt the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. It is 90 minutes. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to center for american progress. Were glad to see folks here on a rainy monday morning. Im Vice President for National Security and International Policy here. I would like to welcome our distinguished guests from shanghai. They have both managed to get to washington despite a typhoon that disrupted all air operations out of shanghai. So were extremely happy youre here safe and sound. We hope the jet lag wont keep you from raising strong arguments and lively discussions this morning. Back in february 2014, the china u. S. Change institution and Shanghai Institute neuer International Studies discussed a report on a new model for major power realizes. It stressed it needed to be more about avoiding conflict. They needed to look at forwardlooking actions and cooperations to tackle joint problems like counterterrorism and climate change. At a private dinner following that launch of that report some months before i joined, i hear a lively discussion taking place in the middle east. From Energy Security to countering violent extremism. It seems clear there were common interest. It was not clear whether the two nations wanted to Work Together or could figure out a way to do so. The culmination of a year of research and exchanges between the two organizations. It started with that dinner and continued through a series of video conferences and highlevel dialogue in beijing, china in march of this year. Both sides viewed the regions as an incredible promise but marred by uncertainty political risks. They asked whether the u. S. And china could find areas of winwin corporation far afield while managing regional concerns and growing tensions in asia itself. They looked at egypts prospects for future stability the legacy of the arab spring, and the ideas for coordination between the u. S. , new silk road and chinas belt and road concepts. Longstanding issues in the u. S. china relationship remain moving in a positive direction and some significant areas towards greater tension. But today we look for Common Ground in a volatile region that is important to both countries. The United States and china have a special responsibility over global influence. Before we kick off the Panel Discussion, its my great honor to welcome alan wong, of the Exchange Foundation for opening remarks. Alan has been a vital partner facilitating and coordinatoring dialogue with the Shanghai Institute and others. Its a great pleasure to have him again. Alan . Thank you very much. Welcome to this Panel Discussion. I note that very soon the world will celebrate 70 years anniversary of world war ii. It reminds me somehow how fortunate my generation that we have seen no major conflict of that magnitude in our times. But it also reminds me, you know, we shouldnt take this for granted. There are plenty of predictions that an emerging power like china will inevitably come into contact with an established power like the United States. My colleagues from cap and International Studies want to believe otherwise. That there is preordained about this. And we always believe we should grant every opportunity and create the necessary conditions to improve Mutual Understanding to expand Strategic Trust and help establish an Even Stronger violation for u. S. china bilateral relations, which is the most important relations of our times. The highlevel peopletopeople exchange has just taken place recently. I was going through the lists of accomplishments of both and was quite pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the breadth and depth of the items listed. In the sebd alone, there were 127 items listed. And despite what we read and hear every day about the disagreements between two countries, south chinese seas and the new National Security laws of china, et cetera. Overall relations have been on an upward steady trend. Again, we must also must look beyond our bilateral relations and explore possible means of cooperation in other parts of the world. We are prejudiced to be a part of it. We join our close and very capable partners led by deleon and also of course International Studies by professor yang to explore the cooperation in the middle east, which is the most volatile region in the world. Through their unrelenting efforts for more than a year, they have produced these studies. And im very much looking forward to the Panel Discussion and their conclusions. So once again, all of the colleagues in siis on behalf of my organization, a Nonprofit Organization based in hong kong to moat u. S. china relations, thank you all very much. [ applause ]. And thank you all. Thank you all for being here. Im really excited to have this great group with us. This is one of the more innovative things we have done. People dont think about the u. S. And china in the middle east. But the fact is both of us have vital Strategic Interests in the region. Clearly a lively dinner set off a year of back and forth and dialogue and culminated in being able to issue a report today. Im just going to quickly let you know who is on the stage with us. Immediately to my right is a senior fellow Shanghai Institute and Deputy Director of the department of american studies. Dr. Wu is focus said on china American Security relationship and arms control and Nuclear Deterrent issues very relevant in the middle east as we speak right now. Immediately to her right is rudy deleon senior fellow here at the National Security team at cap. Hes been at cap since 2007. Many of you know rudy well. Former deputy secretary of defense for the United States. He has been very deeply engaged in u. S. china relations. Among the people here he probably splits his time between the middle east and china more than anyone else. He is perfectly suited for this job today. Immediately to his dr. Is senior fellow Shanghai Institute for national studies. And looking at the middle east. And finally ryan is senior fellow here and runs the middle east program at the center for american progress. Wellknown to many of you. And he focuses on the middle east and south asia. This is his opportunity to get exposure to china and think about how the two major powers could potentially cooperate in the region. What im going to do is ask each of our panelists to give a few introductory remarks. We will go into discussion and open it up to the audience for questions and answers. Thank you very much is. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It is my great pleasure and a privilege to be here. And . China we say if you want to play a role you have to be through the grilling of people in the United States. Im a little bit different from some people. They try to emphasize on the question problems of the china u. S. Relations. Very often i would like to play the role of aeu most beautiful part of the china u. S. Realize. Now, what my thinking about the project are china u. S. Cooperation on the middle east affairs. I think there are three reasons why we embark upon this very meaningful profit. First of all the strategic importance of the middle eastern region. And this is the concentration of all the difficult conflicts relations of country to country, major power, religions et cetera. If you want to understand how the International Affairs are working, you must understand how it works. Secondly, some people say now we reduce the dependence of United States on the middle east oil and the gas of the shale revolution et cetera the united interest is on the wane but i dont think so. This is very superficial. And the understanding, they the most of their money, manpower, political will. And just look at the secretary of state, john kerry. How many times he is doing on the middle east affairs. And also this is a place where china and the United States could complement each other. The United States is the most strong strongest and influential country in the region whereas china maintains good relations with all the conflicting parties. And also chinas dependence on middle east not only the energy but also others are increasing. And final is becoming from a Regional Power to a global power. So china needs a more proactive role. We can discuss and Work Together. The United States and china do not necessarily see eye to eye on everything. However, we could work under the overarching concept of new model of major power relations between china United States to tackle with this very serious challenges. And this is why and how both parties come together thanks to the china u. S. Exchange foundation in hong kong. And im very pleased this is what you have in your hand. Thank you. Thank you, doctor. Im going to turn to rudy for a few minutes for opening remarks. Thank you very much. Once again, the two of us were coowners of this project. It did again, as vikram noted, in 2014 when we were having the discussion on new major powers relation. This was a chapter in a very recent book. It looked at rising powers and established powers from the perspective of germany and britain. And i think for no other reason but many others the fact is in the 21st century the United States and china will be setting a different course. One vastly different than traditions out of europe. And i think its reflected in the audience here today where we see many friends many engaged voices in the debate. Both across the pacific but also some of the leading experts on middle east policy here in attendance as well. So when we had our discussion more than a year ago, we note said that in fact working together means working together as two countries on areas where there can be winwin. But more important to have a dialogue where there are issues of disagreement. Now, as we press forward and as we look to a summit meeting in washington that is coming between president obama and president she in the september time range, we know there will be working together as highlighted by the most recent strategic and economic dialogue that just occurred but also know there are other issues of disagreement, most predominantly the cyto question which is front page news and has been front page news as well as some of the issues of the South China Sea. But in these video conferences and dialogues in the discussions that brian vick ran and i and dr. Hart our other cap colleague and john were able to participate in march we were looking at how we might forage a better relationship on Critical Issues in the middle east. Its the energy center. But finding ways to make a constructive response in dealing with extremism, we have seen the consequences of extremism to the west, that was 9 11 and some of the attacks in europe and france in particular. The fact that all of our Security Forces were on vigorous alert over this fourth of july weekend to deal with some of the extreme threats coming from the middle east. We know that these are issues that are not going away. And we know that there are other stakeholders in the region, including china. And that one of the things that is extremely important is where there is Common Ground. Can the u. S. And china Work Together. And more importantly, not be played off against each other among all of these constituencies. So in our discussions both in the video conferences ill let brian discuss egypt and the middle east geopolitical issues, as well as dr. W. But one area on the new silk road. One belt one road. The chinese term for the same issues, we looked at this how we might use Economic Strategy to find complimentary and consistent ways of working together in central asia collaborating in complimentary ways looking to expand local Economic Growth through connectivity in a very, very critical region. The silk road, the one belt one road really takes us to pakistan, which is an avenue both for trying to work in a constructive way but also recognizing that pakistan was the origins of the al qaeda in afghanistan as well. And so how can these two common interests of the u. S. And china in finding a better path forward in the middle east Work Together in central asia in pakistan, in afghanistan, in a complimentary and consistent way. Collaboration is important because this is one of the least integrated, least developed areas of the world. And that they suffer from an insecurity that can push forces into the west, as well as east. And so we also know that this is a region with rising youth bulges and that they are projecting to face increasing unemployment. Similarly, the ability to meet the sustainable security goals in this region is one that will require political and diplomatic attention as well as an economic focus, if we are to find a constructive path Going Forward. Id like to thank our colleague add cap vie, harding muck tar awwad, all part of our developing these issues and putting forward the report today. But i think its interesting when you talk with people as we have cap and the Shanghai Institutes that you can find framing the question and starting a discussion putting words down on paper can actually lead to a constructive path forward. Well have our differences. Well have issues that are of critical divide. But that there are common interests and that it will be important for the u. S. And china to Work Together on these issues of central asia, on these issues of the middle east as we move forward. Vikram, thank you for hosting us. Thank you for coediting this paper and for always being on the video conferences, which when they are 12 hours time difference one side is getting up very early in the morning or staying late in the office. We thank those folks and alan long and the China Exchange association for partnering with vikram as well. Thanks rudy. Your thoughts . Thank you very much. Im very glad to be here and have this opportunity to join the discussion on china u. S. Cooperation on middle eastern affairs. I read the report and i share with many opinions of colleagues presented in the report. I think that i totally agree that china and United States have actually many common interests in the middle east. The two countries can cooperate with each region. And another thing i want to mention here is that actually chinese and American Scholars share a vision what is happening in middle east now. They both notice there is a great transition, transformation in the middle east now. It is just opening. And it is just in the process of the transformation. And china and the United States to some degree have to adapt to that kind of change. That is a very big change in the middle east. It seems that the United States is bringing a strategy to the middle east and trying to build up kind of a new balance in the region, to bring a relationship in that region. Of course the United States is a major player in middle east. China at current stages still not as active as the United States. But just like the professor said just now, china should be and will be more active in the region. So the two countries have to consider how we cooperate with each other. It is kind of a big change in that very important region in the world. And the third thing i want to say is about the project of china and the United States. I do think they are subparts. The two countries can cooperate with each other. Very interesting they are overlapping geographically in this region. Especially afghanistan. Central Asian Countries and south asia, india pakistan. So thats one of the ways they can cooperate. And the other thing is they pay a lot of attention to Economic Development in this region. And i think that is the way to some degree to stabilize the region and contribute to the stability of the region. So it is possible for china and United States to coordinate on that kind of concrete project. And of course on that project, china and the United States need more dialogues, discussions. Because the two projects designed from different departments. For example, each other basically is ho