Can China offer a real alternative to liberal democracy?

On May 22, the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings will host Professor Anne Cheng for the 19th annual Raymond Aron Lecture. In her remarks, Cheng will discuss the role of China in Western democracies and U.S.-European relations, as well as what a Chinese-led world order could look like. Following her address, Ryan Hass, director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution, will join Cheng for a moderated conversation. After the program, panelists will take questions from the audience.

Anne Cheng is a French Sinologist and expert in Chinese philosophy. Cheng is the inaugural Intellectual History of China chair at the Collège de France in Paris where she teaches courses on the history of Chinese philosophy and its place in modern foreign policy. Cheng has written several books on Chinese philosophy and is one of the leading experts in the study of Chinese political thought.

The Raymond Aron lecture series, named after the renowned scholar of post-war France, annually features leading French and American personalities speaking on current issues affecting the trans-Atlantic relationship.

This event will be open to attend in person or watch online. Online viewers can submit questions via e-mail to [email protected] or on X/Twitter at #AronLecture.

Registration is required to attend an event in person and guests at Brookings are required to attest to their state of health before attending. Visitors may not enter the building if they are feeling ill for any reason, have any symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19, have recently tested positive for COVID-19 and do not yet meet the criteria to resume normal activities based on current CDC guidance, or have been advised by their healthcare professional or otherwise to not enter any space where some persons may not be vaccinated.