On the afternoon of January 16, 2026, Dr. Scott Kennedy, Senior Adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), visited the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Peking University (PKU) and participated in a seminar themed "The Power of Innovation: How to Translate China's High-tech Achievements into International Influence." Other scholars in attendance included: Prof. Wang Jisi, Founding President of IISS, PKU; Associate Professor Gui Yongtao, Vice President of IISS, PKU and Associate Professor at the School of International Studies (SIS), PKU; Associate Professor Niu Ke, Department of History, PKU; Associate Professor Jie Dalei, Senior Research Fellow at IISS, PKU and Associate Professor at SIS, PKU; Associate Professor Li Chen, Senior Research Fellow at IISS, PKU and Associate Professor at the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China; Associate Professor Liu Ying, China Foreign Affairs University; Assistant Professor Xu Qinyi, SIS, PKU; and Dr. Hu Ran, Postdoctoral Researcher and Assistant Research Fellow at the Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The seminar was moderated by Associate Professor Gui Yongtao.

Dr. Kennedy delivered a keynote presentation on China's technological innovation and its implications for the international structure of power, sharing his observations and analyses on topics including China's recent advances in science and technology, the development of its key industries, the impact of civil-military fusion policies, and the contest between China and the United States over international technical standards. The attending scholars engaged in in-depth discussions on issues such as building mutual trust between China and the United States and the trajectory of bilateral relations. They noted that in an era of globalization and technological interdependence, decoupling and confrontation serve neither side's interests, and that the way forward lies in managing risks amid competition and identifying areas for cooperation amid disagreement.

Editor: Li Fangqi    Photographer: Zheng Huaizhou