The US-China Podcast

Educational exchange is a primary way for American and Chinese people to interact with each other, creating opportunities to build common ground. However, both the United States and Chinese governments are hindering and restricting educational exchange opportunities by limiting interactions and complicating bureaucratic processes. Despite these hurdles, opportunities persist for U.S.-China collaboration, especially in the nonprofit and business sectors. Can educational exchange between the United States and China stay afloat amid changing U.S.-China relations? Rosie Levine joined us on March 9, 2026 to explain why educational exchange between the United States and China is important.

Inequality in the United States and China remains problematic as policymakers grapple with high costs, tepid employment, and an uncertain global economy. Social policy scholars work to highlight the visible and invisible factors contributing to inequality in both countries. Common solutions have emerged over time like a focus on children's education and women's empowerment. Despite best efforts, common challenges have also persisted. While cultural contexts differ, the shared fight against poverty and other forms of inequality could provide a basis for collaborative U.S.-China efforts in the future. Qin Gao joined us on Feb 26, 2026 to share her observations of common themes and challenges the United States and China face in fighting inequality and her story starting out in the social policy field.

Read China & the Hill on Substack China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.

David M. Lampton and Wang Jisi co-authored an article published in the March/April 2026 issue of Foreign Affairs in which they argue that the character of the U.S.-China bilateral relationship has changed profoundly. In the early 2010s the two countries moved from cautious engagement with each other to tense rivalry. Each sees the other as the primary threat to its core values, political legitimacy, and vital national interests. It is possible, however, to stabilize and normalize the bilateral relationship by making room for each other in the international system and regional security architectures. In an interview conducted on February 23, 2026, article co-author David M. Lampton joins Steve Orlins to discuss steps that the United States and China could take to pull back from the current dangerously negative trajectory About the speaker

Read China & the Hill on Substack China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.

China's development investments across the African continent have had global ramifications. Inspired by the ability to use language to build bridges, NCUSCR staff Lizabeth Bamgboye discusses her experience studying China and its impact on Africa and the wider African diaspora. As a Nigerian-American Lizabeth reflects on how different countries learn about China and what that means for diplomatic ties. Lizabeth Bamgboye joined us on February 5, 2026 to share how her experiences shape her potential to work in the development space with a focus on China-Africa collaboration. See the speaker's bio and watch the video here

Read China & the Hill on Substack China & the Hill is a weekly newsletter covering Washington DC's China-focused debates, actions, and reactions. Readers will receive a curated digest of each week's most pressing U.S.-China news and its impact on businesses and policy, and can listen to the top stories in podcast form on the U.S.-China Podcast.

Fourteen years ago, nearly 15,000 Americans were studying abroad in China – but now the number is less than 2,000. Fewer economic opportunities for Americans in China and changing U.S. perceptions of China are partially to blame for this decline, but the need for China expertise, particularly to craft effective foreign policy, is growing as China continues to rise. However, the U.S. government has shuttered or slowed some of the paths people used to take to study China, such as the Fulbright and Peace Corp program. Why does the United States need China expertise and what does its loss mean for U.S. foreign policy? Rory Truex joined us in December 2025 to discuss the high barriers to studying China and the consequences a lack of China expertise could have for the future of U.S. foreign policy. Watch the video and learn more about the speaker here