CCG invited as founding member of “Think Tank Alliance on US Issues

On July 14, the Ministry of Finance’s International Economics and Finance Institute hosted a seminar on the impacts and trends of the Sino-US trade war. The event also saw the founding ceremony of the Think Tank Alliance on US Issues, of which CCG is one of the first members.

The new alliance is made up of 19 leading domestic think tanks. Aside from CCG, these include prominent ministry think tanks such as the National Development and Reform Commission’s China Academy of Macroeconomic Research; Ministry of Commerce’s Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation; and the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the China Academy of Social Sciences.

The alliance was created to strengthen research on the US by Chinese think tanks. CCG, China’s leading independent think tank, will serve as a council member for the alliance.

Amidst the recent trade war turbulence, the US government has imposed several rounds of tariff measures. Tensions have not cooled and given current uncertainties, there is a need to reappraise relations with the US and deepen understanding of crucial issues for the US.

Speaking at the event, CCG President Wang Huiyao highlighted the value of Chinese think tanks proactively engaging in dialogue with US counterparts, in particular influential think tanks, as part of Track II diplomacy efforts. Dr. Wang sees Track II diplomacy as an effective channel to promote interaction and exchange between Chinese and US experts in various fields, helping to resolve misinterpretations, improve mutual understanding, and reduce the risk of miscalculation on both sides. He emphasized that if Chinese and US think tanks are able to strengthen dialogue and bring about joint understanding and consensus, this will also be conducive to both governments reaching agreement. This requires that Chinese think tanks adopt an open and globalist perspective to facilitate meaningful exchange with US counterparts.

The Think Tank Alliance on US Issues aims to strengthen capacities to provide research and practical, foresighted policy input on US-related topics such as the US political and economic landscape, US economic policy, and Sino-US relations.

The event was also attended by Fu Ying, Chair of the Academic Committee of CASS National Institute for Global Sciences, and Zhu Min, Dean of Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance.