The State of U.S.-China Relations after Secretary Blinken's June Visit to Beijing with DAS Rick Waters

On July 20, 2023, NBR hosted its 23rd President’s Circle dialogue with special guest Rick Waters, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for China and Taiwan and China Coordinator at the State Department.

NBR President Roy Kamphausen began the event by outlining key issues in Asia from the previous month. Roy highlighted the significant developments in U.S.-India cooperation spurred on by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit and how Japanese delegations to Taiwan and China and Vietnamese military-to-military engagements with the United States and China reflect efforts by regional powers to balance diplomatically. Roy also noted key geoeconomic developments in the region, including how Korean firms have been caught in the crossfire of U.S.-China semiconductor competition and the implications of China’s ongoing crackdown on foreign businesses. Roy concluded his remarks by exploring the possible outcomes of the Thai military’s attempts to undermine the country’s recent election results.

In the second half of the event, former DAS Waters discussed his role in standing up the State Department’s China House, how the U.S. can better coordinate its China policy across domains and in conjunction with allies and partners, and what he has learned about China over numerous China-related postings during his distinguished career at the State Department.