On the morning of July 7, 2020, the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Peking University (PKU) held an internal video academic symposium on the new book THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED-A White House Memoir written by Bolton, former U.S. national security advisor to Donald Trump.

According to their respective research fields, scholars attending the symposium made separate speeches on American diplomatic decision-making, American domestic politics and foreign policies, Bolton's relationship with Trump, and America's relationship with major countries and regions in the world, as well as the interaction between national security and economic and trade relations and discussed many other issues from different perspectives, they also held lively discussions on topics of common interest. Scholars at the symposium believed that some information revealed in Bolton's new book shows the differences in governing ideas, decision-making methods and specific policies between the elite establishment of the U.S. and President Trump, which enables people to have a more real understanding of the decision-making mechanism and operation mode of the U.S. foreign policy, meanwhile, it also has certain enlightening significance and reference value to understand the future development trend of Sino-U.S. relations.

Nearly 20 experts and scholars from Peking University, Renmin University of China, Party School of the Central Committee of C.P.C. and China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations participated in this video symposium. The symposium was hosted by Associate Prof. Yu Tiejun, Vice President of IISS, PKU. Prof. Wang Jisi, President of IISS, PKU, made a concluding speech at the symposium.

Editor: Li Fangqi