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Since the early 1990s when China accelerated its reform and opening to the outside world, it sought to integrate itself more deeply into the global economy and become a leading player in the world order. Now with the world’s second-largest economy and defense budget, what might China’s international role look like by the end of the 21st century? What is China’s new vision for the rules-based order? How can it cooperate effectively with civil- and human rights-based democracies? The purpose of this program is to understand the nexus of cooperation and competition, to identify potential pathways to address legitimate points of conflict, and to outline a road to a peaceful and prosperous future for all countries.
Cold War references and the rhetoric of conflict have dominated the framing of the US-China relationship for the last five years or more. However, this framing fails to capture the complex interdependence generated in the context of current global trade flows and the impact that transformative new technologies, such as AI, will have on the future relationship between China and the globe. Escalating tensions belie the vast US and EU trade volumes with China, vividly demonstrating an enduring interdependence. European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen has proposed “de-risking” as an alternative to the Cold War language, but even this term has been rebuffed by China for a variety of reasons. Finding a new narrative to frame China’s relationship with the world from multiple perspectives will be crucial to managing flashpoints and cooperating on transnational challenges, such as climate change, pandemics, cross-border digital assets and data flows, and nuclear proliferation. It will necessarily include a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including political and ideological competitors.
This program, being part of Salzburg Global’s 2024 Pathways to Peace Initiative, will be a forward-looking opportunity to debate and understand the future of global engagement with a rising China. The forum will assemble an intergenerational, international and interdisciplinary group from government, the private sector, and civil society to engage in off-the-record conversations to evaluate sources of misunderstanding between China and the globe, to explore state and non-state mechanisms through which to productively engage China, and to identify risk-mitigating pathways. Working groups will facilitate participant connections and help build the trust required to arrive at durable options that can help address pressing global issues.
The forum will convene approximately 40-50 participants for a 4-day program at Salzburg Global Seminar, based at Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria. The program will consist of panels, discussions, small group dialogues, and informal debates. Emphasis will be placed on open and off-the-record exchange of views and ideas. Chatham House rule applies.
Following the discussions, Salzburg Global will work with select partners to produce a written report summarizing critical findings and recommendations without attribution, and generate other media to raise public awareness of the Forum’s findings.
Participants will include those with insights into China’s economy and party politics, the dynamics of global economic and technological interdependence from a variety of stakeholder perspectives, and security issues in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere. Participants will represent a global and cross-sectoral group from governments, think tanks, universities, non- and inter-governmental organizations, media, and business.