On April 21, 2025, the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Peking University (PKU) held a seminar at North Pavilion titled “The U.S. Congress and China–U.S. Relations during Trump’s Second Term”.

The seminar invited experts and scholars from PKU, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), and the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) to engage in extensive discussions. Professor Yu Tiejun, President of IISS, PKU, attended the meeting and delivered remarks. The seminar was chaired by Professor Zhu Wenli of the School of International Studies, PKU, and Senior Research Fellow at IISS.

The participating experts focused on the U.S. Congress and China–U.S. relations during Trump’s second term, with particular attention paid to the relationship between Congress and the White House, evolving trends in China–U.S. relations, the 119th U.S. Congress and the current American political landscape, as well as the role of Congress in U.S. strategy toward China and its impact on bilateral relations. They also examined issues such as the president’s tariff authority, the interconnectedness of global hotspots, and congressional legislation related to Taiwan. The experts noted that the system of checks and balances in the United States is in the process of weakening, and that in Trump’s second term, Congress and the executive branch are undergoing a recalibration of power relations. They further argued that domestic political turbulence in the U.S. may shift Congress’s priorities on China-related issues, emphasizing the need to strengthen research on congressional legislation and to pay close attention to Congress’s complex role in bilateral relations.

Editor: Li Fangqi

Photographer: Zheng Huaizhou