After a year of summits, trade negotiations and continued competition, Beijing and Washington have settled into a period of leader-level stability. Technology competition and the risks of artificial intelligence, trade and tariffs, territorial disputes and
changing power dynamics, climate change, a faltering international order, and other international challenges impose new demands on the relationship and set the stage for rivalry.
But, after a series of meetings between President Trump and Chairman Xi, the two superpowers enter 2027 in a state of cautious engagement. Although competitive dynamics undergird the relationship, the question arises: are the United States and
China learning to live with each other? Or, amid a series of global crises and regional flashpoints, is another period of heightened competition around the corner?
With the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the 2026 Carnegie China Fellows explored these issues and more. Join us on January 11, 2027 for an all-day conference featuring the fellows’ work.
About the Carnegie China Fellowship
Established in 2020, the Carnegie China Fellowship is a premier, policy-focused fellowship designed to support rising American scholars focused on understanding China’s rise and its implications for the world and the United States. Applications for its 2027 cohort are now open, with applications due on January 4, 2027. Learn more about our current fellows here.
Tentative Conference Schedule
- 8:00am – Registration Opens
- 8:30-8:45am – Welcome Remarks
- 9:00-10:15 am – Panel 1: Great Power Competition in 2026 and Beyond
Featured Fellows: Alexsia Chan, Zack Cooper, Jeffrey Ding - 10:15-10:30 am – Break
- 10:30-11:45 am – Panel 2: China’s Evolving Political Economy
Featured Fellows: Manfred Elfstrom, Joshua Freedman, Scott Moore, Zongyuan “Zoe” Liu - 12:00-1:00pm – Break
- 1:30-2:45pm – Panel 3: Beijing’s International Engagements After the Rules-Based Order
Featured Fellows: Ning Leng, Dawn Murphy, Kerry Ratigan - 2:45-3:00pm – Break
- 3:00-4:15pm – Panel 4: Social Control and Integration in China's Periphery
Featured Fellows: Timothy Grose, Denise Ho, Karrie Koesel, Eric Schluessel - 4:15pm – Closing Remarks
Location
University of Maryland School of Public Policy
3301 Thurgood Marshall Hall
7805 Regents Drive, College Park, Maryland