| | | | | | Dear ,
A new academic year is underway — and 21CCC is starting it with new leadership, new research and a full calendar of events.
This is our first quarterly newsletter since Molly Roberts became director on July 1. A professor of political science and an internationally recognized scholar of methodology, digital politics and China, Molly brings fresh energy and intellectual leadership to the center’s work.
Starting this fall, our public lectures will be offered either in person or on Zoom — not in a hybrid format — to provide the best experience for each audience. Please review the lecture list below (or visit our public talks page) and register for the events you would like to attend. Make sure to pay attention to whether the event is in person or virtual. On Oct. 22–23, we are pleased to host the 2026 annual conference of the Association of Chinese Political Studies (ACPS), marking the association’s 40th anniversary.
We used the summer to advance several big projects. After nearly a year of meetings and deliberations, our working group published Selective Openness, a major report proposing a new framework for managing Chinese direct investment in the United States. We also supported summer student research and convened our largest UC San Diego China Forum to date, bringing together 80 or so policymakers, industry leaders and scholars for candid discussion of China and U.S.–China relations.
We are pleased to welcome two new postdoctoral researchers, Xiaohan Wu, who received her Ph.D. in political science from UC San Diego, and Jeffery Wang, who just defended his dissertation in political science at Indiana University Bloomington. We also welcome international visiting scholars and graduate researchers from King’s College London and several universities in China. We are hiring, too — here is the job posting for an assistant director position. Please circulate before the Sept. 30 deadline.
Finally, we want to congratulate Senior Fellow Sarah Beran, a veteran diplomat and former NSC senior director for China and Taiwan affairs. She will assume the role of president of the National Committee on U.S.–China Relations in November.
With warmest regards,
Margaret Roberts Professor and Chancellor's Associates Endowed Chair Director, 21st Century China Center
Lei Guang So Family Executive Director, 21st Century China Center | | | | | Fall Quarter Public Events | | After the Trump–Xi Summit: What Was Achieved—and What Comes Next? (Virtual Only via Zoom)
Sunday, Sept. 27 at 4:45 p.m. PDT | Register Two prominent analysts — one Chinese one American — offer one of the first expert assessments of what the Trump–Xi summit achieved and what comes next.
Physical AI and Critical Materials: Using Innovation to Solve a China Crisis (In-Person Only) Thursday, Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. PDT | Register David Michael of Anzu Partners shares how Physical AI can fix global supply chains for critical minerals.
Run Ri (潤日): China's New Emigrants to Japan and the Anti-Foreigner Backlash (In-Person Only) Thursday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. PST | Register Journalist Takehiro Masutomo unpacks Run Ri (潤日) - why are Chinese emigrants flocking to Japan and sparking Japan's immigration debate.
Small Banks, Big Politics: The Cause and Consequences of Bank Proliferation in China (In-Person Only) Thursday, Nov. 19 at 4 p.m. PST | Register Adam Liu examines how China’s banking sector exploded under authoritarian rule.
My China: A Family History Amid a Changing and Challenging U.S.–China Relationship (Virtual Only via Zoho) Thursday, Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. PST | Register Former AmCham Shanghai president Ker Gibbs discusses real limits of Chinese power.
| | | | | | UC San Diego China Forum
Explore this multimedia presentation of the UC San Diego China Forum. Don't miss the video of the Susan Shirk Lecture by Harvard political scientist Graham Allison, plus event photos and the forum's key takeaways.
| | | | “Selective Openness” for Chinese Direct Investment: A Policy Report
Organized by 21CCC, the Task Force on U.S.-China Policy’s Working Group proposes “selective openness” to protect U.S. national security while preserving the benefits of Chinese investment. Its main report is accompanied by five stress tests covering corporate governance, cybersecurity, clean energy, life sciences and humanoid robotics.
| | | | China Focus Essay Contest
China Focus — a GPS student-run international affairs blog — announced the 2026 Essay Contest winners in June. Quinn Ennis of Yale and Patrick Luczak and Abraham Wu of UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy received the 1990 Institute Prize and the Jimmy Carter Prize, respectively. | | | | | | | | Molly Roberts is a professor in the Department of Political Science and the director of the 21st Century China Center at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. She holds a Chancellor's Associates Endowed Chair, co-directs the China Data Lab, and is an affiliate faculty at the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. Her research interests lie in the intersection of new technologies and digital politics, with a specific focus on the politics of artificial intelligence, online information control, and science and innovation. She is the recipient of the prestigious Max Planck-Humboldt Research Award. | | | | Takehiro Masutomo is an alumnus of UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. He is an author and journalist specializing in Asian current affairs. Fluent in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Bahasa Indonesia, he is the author of the bestselling book “Run Ri (潤日),” which was recently translated and published in Taiwan. Masutomo is a regular commentator for NHK Radio, and in 2026–2027, he is a World Fellow at Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs. | | | | Xiaohan Wu is a postdoctoral researcher with the China Data Lab at the 21st Century China Center. She earned her Ph.D. in political science from UC San Diego. Working at the intersection of AI and social science, she uses text-as-data methods and large language models to study media, legal governance, and political communication in China. | | | | Jeffery Wang is a postdoctoral scholar at the 21st Century China Center. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Indiana University Bloomington, where he also completed interdisciplinary training in informatics, complex networks and systems. His research examines changes in global order, international institutions and trade networks, using computational and network-based methods.
| | | | New China Focus Team 21CCC welcomes new China Focus editors Tara Wu and Margaret Gach, both members of the GPS Class of 2027. We look forward to working with them to bring more student and young professional perspectives to our audiences. | | | | | | | | In the 21st century, two nations will play pivotal roles in shaping a global future: China and the U.S. When you make a tax-exempt gift to the center, you help influence this future as well. Find out how you can support our ongoing work today. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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