Global leaders and experts offer insights and solutions for collaborations on trade, security, climate, science, technology, public health and more;
Identify opportunities for Hong Kong to leverage its position as an international connector to contribute to the U.S.-China relationship
(November 10, 2023) HONG KONG—The 2023 Hong Kong Forum on U.S.-China Relations concluded its second and final day, with off-the-record panel discussions and roundtable dialogues offering candid insights and suggestions from international leaders for building on the recent momentum in the bilateral relationship to drive progress on critical global issues. The Forum is the landmark annual meeting of the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) and co-organized with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE),
Day 2 of the Forum included five panel sessions where experts discussed topics including trade and economy, science and technology, people-to-people exchanges, global challenges, and international finance, as well as two roundtables that addressed international security and the future of Hong Kong.
In the latter roundtable, participants discussed and agreed on Hong Kong’s important role to play as an ongoing convener of diverse global views, and that the city can leverage its position as a “cultural melting pot” to continue connecting people and ideas through platforms such as the Hong Kong Forum.
In closing the Forum, CUSEF Chairman John Zhao, challenged all to take action. “I am leaving with hope. We discovered that if the United States and China, as two superpowers, do not learn how to peacefully co-exist, there is no future for all of us. We also discovered that interdependencies between us and our nations is a fact. Long term solutions will not just come from politicians alone, they are going to come out of all of us.”
CUSEF President James Chau said, “Our goal was not just to bring together a broad and diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the most consequential bilateral relationship of our time, but to focus on actionable solutions and recommendations for how we can chart a path forward for U.S.-China relations. I am confident that we have accomplished our goal.”
Speakers during the second day included Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary of India; Bhokin Bhalakula, former President of Parliament and Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand; Zhu Min, former Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund; Myron Brilliant, Senior Counselor, Dentons Global Advisors-ASG and Former Executive Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Stephen Roach, Senior Fellow, Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, Yale University; Neil Bush, Founder and Chairman, George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations; David Lampton, Professor Emeritus of China Studies, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University; Jeffrey Lehman, Vice Chancellor, NYU Shanghai and 11th President of Cornell University; Kate Robertson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, One Young World; Zhang Yuyan, Director, Institute of World Economics and Politics and Chief Expert, National Institute for Global Strategy; and more.
A prominent theme during the Forum was the potential meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden in San Francisco next week, with speakers generally hopeful for positive results and progress. There was also consensus that the recent increase in diplomatic engagement between the two sides is something to encourage and be optimistic about. Speakers agreed that there is an urgent need for more regular channels of communication between the two countries, not just at the government-to-government level, but at subnational and non-governmental levels as well, to stablize the relationship.
During the first day of the Hong Kong Forum, former U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky proposed that the two countries agree on a bilateral compact on cooperation, so that the relationship is defined not just by managing differences, but by institutionalizing and formalizing mechanisms for cooperation.
Speakers at the two-day forum also included Xie Feng, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the United States of America; Nicholas Burns, Ambassador of the United States of America to the People's Republic of China, President of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta; John Zhao, CUSEF Chairman; Charlene Barshefsky, 12th United States Trade Representative; Mogens Lykketoft, President of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly; Max Baucus, 11th U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China; Bi Jingquan, Executive Vice Chairman, China Center for International Economic Exchanges and more.
Please click here for the full agenda and speaker list or scan the QR code below.
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Note to Editors:
About China-United States Exchange Foundation
The China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) is an independent, non-profit organization founded by The Hon. Tung Chee-hwa, First Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, with a mission to build trust, facilitate exchange, and advance understanding between the two largest economies. For details, please visit www.cusef.org.hk
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