U.S.-China Collaboration on Early Childhood Development

In recent years, both the United States and Chinese governments have given high priority to developing early childhood development (ECD) policies and social programs. The Obama administration has invested $10 billion on early childhood education and the Chinese government has created a detailed agenda that targets the expansion of preprimary education from 2010-2020.

On November 20, the Brookings Institution and the China Development Research Foundation hosted a discussion on the preparation of future generations through early childhood development, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in ECD. Madame Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State, provided keynote addresses on the importance of early childhood development programs and their potential for achieving long-term global impact. The conference also featured two panel discussions with leading Chinese, American, and international experts on early childhood development that addressed ECD programs as an investment and discussed ways to further U.S.-China collaboration in ECD. After each session, the panelists took audience questions.

Additional quotes from the two keynote speakers are available on Brookings Now.