The China Dilemma

The U.S-China relationship isn’t a new topic, but the need for a clear path forward is urgent. As we look to 2021 and increasing tensions between the two countries, the complex relationship attempts to balance American prosperity and security with an authoritarian regime that reneges its commitments, controls its population, and violates human rights. This issue of The Catalyst presents the problem and offers both short-term and long- term solutions.

Former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster sits down to discuss his recent time in the White House leading strategic foreign policy decisions and his firsthand perspective on competitive engagement with China.

We hear from thought leaders on foreign policy and experts in academia, including contributions on security and trade from Victor Cha, former Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council and Bush Institute Fellow; and Hiroki Takeuchi, SMU’s Director of the Sun & Star Program on Japan and East Asia. Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, discusses strategy and human rights violations in the region.

Chinese refugee Pastor Bob Fu, currently in hiding, speaks with the Bush Institute about religious freedom and present-day threats his family is receiving from the Chinese Communist Party.

Business leaders Mark Cuban and Daymond John offer their thoughts on why America does business with China, and what it will take to bring manufacturing home.

And Bush Institute experts weigh in on a variety of related topics, including the impact Beijing has on American culture, the fate of Hong Kong, and China’s influence on the global stage.

As this issue of The Catalyst makes clear, the China dilemma presents a crucial challenge that cannot be ignored. With the right strategies in place, there is an opportunity for the U.S. to maintain prosperity and better lead abroad.