After two years weathering several major internal and external events, The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has come through in remarkably strong condition. Since early 2008, China has dealt with challenges including the Wenchuan earthquake, the 2008 Olympic Games, unrest in Tibet and Xinjiang, and the global economic and financial crises. The Chinese government has also coped with a series of sensitive anniversaries, including the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. During this same period, China’s global role and stature have grown significantly, expanding the standing of the PRC beyond that of a regional player. This has created new expectations of China’s diplomacy in areas as diverse as climate change, nuclear proliferation and the restructuring of global financial institutions.

As the 2010 National People’s Congress meeting concludes, the John L. Thornton China Center hosted a March 18 panel to take stock of the major issues that lie ahead. What are the major items on the sociopolitical, economic, energy, and U.S.-China agendas? How are the key issues likely to play out? Senior Fellow Cheng Li, the China Center’s director of research, provided introductory remarks and moderated this discussion.

After the program, panelists took audience questions.