Washington, DC – The Stimson Center today announced the U.S.-China Sanya Dialogue, a Track 2 dialogue focused on military relations. The Sanya Dialogue provides a unique forum for retired U.S. and Chinese flag officers to engage in candid, constructive, and closed-door interactions, exchanging views, building understanding, and charting policy directions on contentious issues in the bilateral relationship. The project is led by China Program Director Yun Sun and Distinguished Fellow Admiral William Owens (Ret.). The project continues work previously conducted by the EastWest Institute since 2008.
Read more about the project: https://www.stimson.org/project/us-china-sanya-dialogue/
Admiral William Owens (Ret.) began the Sanya Dialogue in 2008 and is now a Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center. In a statement he said, “For more than a decade, the Sanya Dialogue has facilitated sensitive discussions between former senior military leaders from the United States and China, keeping open what has become an increasingly narrow window of interaction. The nature of the US-China relationship will be a defining characteristic of the next century and I am honored that the Stimson Center will continue this essential work. It is important that we continue to strengthen military-to-military ties between the two countries, and retired military leaders are often well-positioned to play a role in that effort. I look forward to continuing the critical security dialogue that must be at the heart of US-China relations.”
Yun Sun, Director of Stimson’s China Program and Co-Director of the East Asia Program, said, “It is essential to maintain crucial dialogue that strengthens ties between the US and China, reducing misperception and avoiding misunderstandings on both sides of this critical relationship. We are honored to have the experience and insight of Admiral Owens on the team to build on our work and continue to provide informed analysis of China’s decision-making in an ever-changing geopolitical environment.”
Stimson’s China program works to assess China’s strategic intentions and foreign policy behaviors to reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings, misperceptions, and miscalculations. The program seeks to understandings of strategic considerations — not only of China and the United States, but also other states in and outside the region. Recognizing that dialogue is important for developing better understanding among regional actors, the program works to expand interaction between the Chinese foreign policy community and their counterparts in other countries.
The Stimson Center promotes international security, shared prosperity, and justice through applied research and independent analysis, deep engagement, and policy innovation.
For three decades, Stimson has been a leading voice on urgent global issues. Founded in the twilight years of the Cold War, the Stimson Center pioneered practical new steps toward stability and security in an uncertain world. Today, as changes in power and technology usher in a challenging new era, Stimson remains at the forefront: Engaging new voices, generating innovative ideas and analysis, and building solutions to promote international security, prosperity, and justice.
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