Bi-national Commission
The U.S.-China Bi-National Commission on Enhanced Relations and Trust Building (BNC) was formed to examine the sources of mistrust between the two governments and peoples and to develop approaches to foster greater U.S.-China trust. Trust is essential for the two nations to work collaboratively to address shared challenges. Deliberate and sustained efforts at trust-building will enhance the capacity of the two nations to cooperate more fully and manage differences more effectively.
Led by Ernest J. Wilson III, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California, and Wang Jisi, director of the Institute for International and Strategic Studies (and dean emeritus of the School of International of International Studies) at Peking University, the Bi-National Commission is comprised of senior experts from both countries.
In June 2012 in Washington and in September 2012 in Beijing, the BNC held extensive talks with prominent officials in the two governments and business communities, as well as meeting with academics, civic organization representatives and journalists. These talks explored the sources of mistrust between the U.S. and China, what was being done to build trust, and what should be done to strengthen the relationship. Over the past two years, the BNC has carried out additional research into popular attitudes and the range of existing exchanges between the U.S. and China. USC hosted a conference focusing on American and Chinese perceptions in November 2013. Some of this work is summarized in this report and much more will soon be available via the BNC website. The BNC will host an Annenberg Sunnylands II meeting in 2015 to bring together leaders from business, academia, the media, and civic sectors to move forward the Next Generation effort to engage young people and others too often left out of discussions of U.S.-China ties, to employ new technological platforms to foster more regular and effective collaboration, and to create programs which have a deeper impact and engage more people.
The BNC is an independent entity. Funding for it has come from the Committee of 100, a U.S. civic organization, and from individual donors. At the same time, the BNC has been encouraged by officials in both the U.S. and China to find ways to address the trust gap that hampers U.S.-China relations.
COMMISSION CO-CHAIRS
Wang Jisi
Director, Institute for International and Strategic Studies, Peking University
Ernest J. Wilson III
Dean, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California
COMMISSION MEMBERS
Bai Chong’en
Associate Dean, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University
David I. Fisher
Chairman, Capital Group International
Jia Qingguo
Dean, School of International Studies, Peking University
Robert W. Liu
Founder and Chairman, Tireco, Inc.
Orville Schell
Arthur Ross Director, Center on U.S.-China Relations, Asia Society
Susan Shirk
Chair, Program on 21st Century China, University of California at San Diego
Qian Yingyi
Dean, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University
Wang Min
Special Research Fellow, Peking University
COMMISSION ADVISORS
Ding Jian (James)
Managing Director, GSR Ventures and Co-Chair, AsiaInfo-Linkage Holdings, Inc.
Ming Hsieh
Founder and Former CEO, Cogent Systems
Dominic Ng
Chair, Committee of 100 Chair and CEO, East West Bank
Tang Xiaodan
Chair and President, Silversun Group
COMMISSION STAFF
Clayton Dube, USC
Liu Chunmei, PKU
Sarah Myers, USC
Venus Saensradi, USC
Catherine Gao, USC
Craig Stubing, USC
Wang Dong, PKU
Jian (Jay) Wang, USC
Carola Weil, American University
The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Founded with generous support from Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg, ASCJ fosters multidisciplinary study of communication and journalism, routinely linking researchers and practitioners in the entertainment, media and technology industries. ASCJ’s more than 200 faculty members work with over 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students. The U.S.-China Institute and Center on Public Diplomacy are among its eighteen research centers and programs.
The PKU School for International Studies
SIS is the oldest such school in China and is China’s leading research and teaching program focusing on international affairs. SIS has three departments, three institutes, and more than twenty research centers, including the Center for International and Strategic Studies and the American Studies Center. The more than fifty faculty members train over 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students, including many from outside China.