As I am a senior studying Global Affairs with a concentration in global governance, one probably wouldn’t expect to see me attending the Duke-UNC Chapel Hill China Leadership Summit. However, the US-China relationship is deeply important on a global scale, and I figured understanding it more holistically would be valuable for my studies in global governance to explore how players such as the United States and China interact and cooperate to build a better world.
I applied after hearing of the summit through the GLOA newsletter, and when I was accepted as a delegate, I knew I was in for a treat when I saw the theme for this year’s summit: “Beyond Binary: Reimagining US-China Narratives,” a pertinent topic given the current state of the US-China relationship, where the importance of nuance is quickly being lost by all sides.
The purpose of the summit is to encourage delegates to think more critically about China and its relationship with the world at large, and this year’s theme was a unique opportunity to do so with a fresh lens more focused on people, culture, and history. As a global governance student, I know that this type of context is paramount when discussing global trends and cooperation, and as a result, I was very excited to participate and learn more from this year's CLS.
As delegates, we heard from a variety of speakers covering topics from China’s diplomatic strategy and discourse power, human rights, arts and cultural exchange, cross-strait relations, and journalistic narratives regarding the US-China relationship from both a macro and micro level.
I was privileged to learn from these speakers and presenters and to gain a deeper understanding of US-China relations, and how this relationship has an impact on the forces that move the world. I was also extremely fortunate to practice my Mandarin and Cantonese, meet students from across the United States and China, and even meet fellow Mason students. It was fascinating to discuss topics of mutual interest with them and to learn more about how US-China relations are being reimagined for a new era, by a new generation of diverse thought leaders.
I am so grateful to Duke and UNC for allowing me to represent Mason at this year’s summit, and for providing me with the opportunity to learn and exchange ideas with talented and knowledgeable people from across the globe! This was truly an unforgettable experience, and I hope to use the new paradigms I gained here in my career, as I seek to help foster a more open, cooperative world.
April 22, 2024