On November 20, 2023, the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Peking University (PKU) held the lecture series under the 69th North Pavilion Seminar. Prof. Andrew Mertha, Director of the China Studies Program at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University delivered a lecture titled "The Current State of China-U.S. Relations and Its Impact on Future Scholar Collaberation." The lecture was chaired by Gui Yongtao, Vice President of IISS and Associate Dean of the School of International Studies (SIS), PKU.

Prof. Andrew Mertha began his talk by reviewing the history of scholarly collaboration between China and the U.S. In his opinion, research on China by American scholars has gradually deepenedfrom the 1980s when American scholars came to China for field studies to the wave of Chinese students studying abroad after the 1990s. However, there have still been some limitations in terms of access to personnel, publications and data, which consequently influenced the further improvement of research quality.

Prof. Andrew Mertha also pointed out that there is a viewpoint in the U.S. that suggests scholars studying China in the U.S. have underestimated China's strategic capabilities and global intentions, leading to a lack of preparedness for the "threat" posed by China. He expressed his disagreement with this viewpoint but acknowledged the spreading of its influence, which he believes will push China studies to the margins. This trend could result in the mainstream of many American scholars having limited knowledge about China but adopting a hawkish stance toward China, which is a dangerous tendency. In conclusion, he stated that restricting channels of scholarly collaboration is not beneficial to bilateral relations and may lead to negative political consequences. China and the U.S should depoliticize their interactions and promote valuable academic research to enhance mutual understanding.

During the Q&A session, Prof. Andrew Mertha engaged in discussions and exchanges with the faculty and students present at the lecture on topics such as his perceptions of this visit to China, the importance of field research, the possibility of changes in the U.S. attitude towards China, and the prospects for U.S.-China relations. (Contributed by: Ma Li'ao)

Editor: Li Fangqi  Photographer: Zheng Peijie