January 1, 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States of America. Over the past four decades, China-U.S. relations have evolved from tense standoffs to a complex mix of intensifying diplomacy. While our relations have grown deeper and stronger, a future of healthy competition and cooperation does not come without challenges. It would be exceptionally beneficial to take a look back at the lessons of history, particularly the legacies of those past 40 years. It is also crucially important to create a shared vision of bilateral relations underlined by mutually beneficial partnership.

　　To that end, the Center for American Studies of Fudan University and the Shanghai Institute of American Studies, together with The Paper (a Chinese digital media outlet), present “40 People on 40 Years: An Interview Series Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of China-U.S. Diplomatic Normalization”, a project which features exclusive interviews with 40 renowned experts (20 from each side) and aims to closely examine the diplomatic path to where we are today, and explores the potential to strengthen mutual understanding and enhance collaboration.

　　The China-U.S. rapprochement 40 years ago not only changed the world’s political landscape, but also changed the fate of countless Chinese and American people. We therefore decided to shed some light on the front-row witnesses to the development of China-U.S. relations, uncovering their personal journeys to China/U.S. studies as well as the highlights of their impressive careers.

Our interview series features:

From the Chinese side:

Zhao Qizheng, Former Director, State Council Information Office

Long Yongtu, Former Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation

Tao Wenzhao, Researcher, Institute of American Studies, CASS

Zhou Wenzhong, Former Chinese Ambassador to the U.S.

He Weiwen, Senior Research Fellow, Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China

Wang Jisi, President, Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Peking University

Yang Yi, Former Director, Institute for Strategic Studies, National Defense University

Yang Jiemian, Chairman, Academic Affairs Council, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies

Cui Tiankai, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S.

Yao Yunzhu, Senior Advisor, China Association of Military Science

Huang Renwei, Former Vice President, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences

He Yafei, Former Vice Minister, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ni Feng, Deputy Director, Institute of American Studies, CASS

Zhu Feng, Executive Director, Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing University

Wu Xinbo, Director, Center for American Studies and Dean, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University; President, Shanghai Institute of American Studies

Yuan Peng, President, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations

Chen Dongxiao, President, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies

Da Wei, Assistant President, University of International Relations

Song Guoyou, Deputy Director, Center for American Studies, Fudan University

Diao Daming, Research Fellow, National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China


From the American side:

Jimmy Carter, Former U.S. President

Ezra Feivel Vogel, Professor, Harvard University

Stapleton Roy, Former U.S. Ambassador to China

Joseph Nye, Former Dean, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University'

Kenneth Lieberthal, Senior Fellow Emeritus, Brookings Institution

Jeffrey Bader, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Susan Shirk, Chair, 21st Century China Center, University of California, San Diego

Terry Branstad, U.S. Ambassador to China

David M. Lampton, Director of China Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Thomas Fingar, Professor, Stanford University

Harry Harding, Professor, University of Virginia

Douglas Paal, Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Kenneth Jarrett, President, AmCham Shanghai; Former U.S. Consul General in Shanghai

Robert Ross, Professor, Boston College

David Dollar, Senior Fellow, John L. Thornton China Center, Brookings Institution

Dennis Wilder, Managing Director, Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues, Georgetown University

Robert Daly, Director, Kissinger Institute on China and the U.S.

Paul Haenle, Director, Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy

Daniel Rosen, Founding Partner, Rhodium Group

Peter Gries, Former Director, Institute for U.S.-China Issues, University of Oklahoma