CHINA Town Hall (CTH), a two-part program that provides a snapshot of the current U.S.-China relationship and examines how that relationship reverberates at the local level – in our towns, states, and nation, connects Americans around the country with U.S. policymakers and thought leaders on China. 

The 2025 CHINA Town Hall program will take place on Thursday, April 24, at 5:30 PM CT, to discuss President Trump’s China policy 100 days in, with featured speakers Ryan Hass, Director of John L. Thorton China Center at the Brookings Institution; Matthew Turpin, Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution; and Lingling Wei, Chief China Correspondent at The Wall Street Journal; in a conversation moderated by Stephen Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. At a critical time in the U.S.-China relationship amid numerous emerging issues of global concern, this examination of key sectors, including tech, economics, and politics, will enable Americans to discuss the issues that have an impact on their communities, institutions, and nation. Established in 1966, the National Committee on United States-China Relations is the leading American non-profit, non-partisan public affairs organization devoted to building constructive relations between the United States and Greater China.

The Center for Asian Studies at UT Dallas (CAS) in collaboration with the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce Dallas (USCCC) will participate as a local/virtual host via Microsoft Teams. Dallas will join more than 80 venues across the country for the program, followed by a local and virtual discussion led by Dr. Dennis Kratz, CAS Director, and Dr. Denis Simon, Visiting Professor at the Asian Pacific Studies Institution and Duke University as well as Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. 

Dr. Simon will speak on the topic of "Bridges in a Time of Barriers: The Immediate and Long-Range Impact of the U.S.-China Tariff War on Educational Partnerships and Exchanges" He will explore the escalating impact of the U.S.-China economic “tariff war” on educational partnerships and academic exchanges, emphasizing the broader strategic shift from engagement to competition. He will examine the immediate consequences, including declining student mobility, restricted research collaboration, and the widespread closure of cooperative initiatives. The speech will highlight how both federal and state-level actions—in states like Florida, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, and Georgia—have amplified scrutiny of China-related academic ties, often under the banner of national security. These developments have contributed to a chilling effect on scientific collaboration, talent flows, and mutual understanding. Long-term risks include diminished U.S. access to STEM talent, weakening of global research ecosystems, and erosion of China literacy within the U.S. academic community. In response, the speech will outline a path forward centered on “de-risked” collaboration, revived bilateral dialogue, multilateral academic platforms, investment in China expertise, and protections for international students and scholars. The speech argues that while the U.S.-China relationship is shifting, strategic educational engagement remains essential to American global competitiveness and innovation as well as macro-level geopolitical stability.

This event is free to all