Advancing Collaboration in an Era of Strategic Competition

The United States and China have entered a new and prolonged phase of geostrategic tension. Consequently, the prospect of large-scale cooperation between the two countries on issues of shared and growing importance such as climate change, food security, and global health looks increasingly remote. As intense frictions look set to become an enduring structural feature of the bilateral relationship, new approaches to find and sustain meaningful traction on collaborative endeavors, including among non-state actors, are urgently needed.

The CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies and the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings have undertaken a multiyear initiative to advance U.S.-China coordination in an era of strategic competition. Through historical case studies, practitioner and expert workshops, public events, proof of concept exercises, strategy reports, and translations of Chinese perspectives, the project will diagnose barriers now impinging on collaborative efforts and develop a playbook of best practices to improve the frequency and effectiveness of such efforts across a range of functional areas.

This project was made possible by generous support from the Gates Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation.