Is China ahead of the United States in developing green technology? Amid the tensions of great power competition and climate change, what can the U.S. and China learn from each other when it comes to protecting the environment? In this special edition Earth Day podcast, we pulled the best content from our 2023 Earth Month interview series to answer the most urgent questions on the U.S.-China climate relationship with insights from American and Chinese experts.

Joining us for this episode are the following four experts on China and the climate crisis:

Angel Hsu, assistant professor of public policy and the environment at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Joanna Lewis, Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professor of Energy and Environment and director of the Science, Technology and International Affairs Program at Georgetown University

Zou Ji, president of the Energy Foundation China

Ma Jun, founding director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE)

About the speakers: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/earth-day-2023

Read the transcript for this podcast here: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/earth-day-2023

Earth Day Special: Where do the U.S. and China stand on the climate crisis?

This episode explores China’s new-energy vehicle (NEV) market and draws from the November 2018 CSIS report entitled China’s Risky Drive into New-Energy Vehicles. We are joined by the author of the report, Dr. Scott Kennedy, who examines the strategic and economic motivations behind Beijing’s prioritization of NEVs. Dr. Kennedy discusses the positive results of China becoming the world’s largest NEV market, as well as issues the industry faces in China, such as overcapacity, environmental ramifications, and the challenges posed by international competitors. He also offers his assessment of how the industry will evolve and China’s role moving forward.

Dr. Scott Kennedy is senior adviser of the Freeman Chair in China Studies and director of Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at CSIS. Prior to joining CSIS, he was a professor at Indiana University (IU) for over 14 years. His work focuses on China’s economic policy and its global economic relations, including industrial policy, technology innovation, and US-China commercial relations.

China’s Emerging New-Energy Vehicle Industry: A Conversation with Scott Kennedy

I was recently invited to The Carter Center's commemoration of the 40th anniversary of U.S.-China relations in Atlanta, where I met Professor David Lampton - a foremost thinker on the two countries. In this podcast, he describes his early adventures as a student in the 1960s, the way he centers his work through people and their voices, and how he has built a career around two fascinating countries and the world they shape.

How to become a player in global affairs

My remix of "Empathy" by my brothers, @TheBrazenYouth

Check out The Brazen Youth on Spotify ~ https://open.spotify.com/artist/7tnIA4ww5dwoyENYz4GM5T?si=AlRoTpFMQ6ePGx2SXkE6iQ

Additional bass guitar performed by Stirling Rutty
Cover art by indojo ~ https://www.deviantart.com/indojo


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Empathy (Remix)

Speaker: Scott Kennedy, Senior Adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

An American policy to economically decouple from China is a radical idea, and if adopted, would cause substantial damage to American interests. Policies based on “managed interdependence” would be more effective in protecting the economy, national security, values, and public health of the United States.

Scott Kennedy is senior adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). A leading authority on Chinese economic policy, his specific areas of expertise include industrial policy, technology innovation, business lobbying, U.S.-China commercial relations, and global governance.  He is currently writing a book tentatively titled, The Power of Innovation:The Strategic Importance of China’s High-Tech Drive.

This event was recorded over Zoom.

Decoupling from China: A Radical and Dangerous Idea, with Scott Kennedy

Online Education During the Pandemic

The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is the leading American nonprofit, nonpartisan organization devoted to promoting constructive engagement between the United States and Greater China.

Since 1966, the National Committee has served as a vital bridge between the two countries, responding to immediate crises and systemic shifts by providing a platform for frank and constructive dialogue, and by creating relevant, high-impact programs that address the changing nature of the bilateral relationship. Its ongoing exchanges, dialogues, conferences, and delegations bring together a wide range of policymakers, corporate leaders, academics, entrepreneurs, professionals, military personnel, and students from both sides of the Pacific. Through public outreach and educational events, the Committee stimulates public discussion and facilitates the exchange of ideas and viewpoints.

The National Committee’s programs draw strength from its members, who number more than 700 prominent Americans from all parts of the country, and nearly 60 corporations and professional firms. They represent many viewpoints, but share the belief that productive U.S.-China relations require ongoing public education, face-to-face contact, and the forthright exchange of ideas.

Earth Day Special: Where do the U.S. and China stand on the climate crisis?

National Committee on U.S.-China Relations

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