On June 6, 2026, CIIDS Founding Chairman Zheng  Bijian met with Mr. John Thornton, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the  Asia Society, at CIIDS headquarters in Beijing. The two sides held in-depth  discussions on China-U.S. relations, China-U.S.-Southeast Asia Trilateral  Think Tank Meeting (Trilateral Meeting), and the 10th  Understanding China Conference, among other topics of common interest.

Founding Chairman Zheng  Bijian warmly welcomed Mr. John Thornton on his latest visit to CIIDS. He  expressed great delight at playing host to an old friend at CIIDS, referring  to the Trilateral Meeting, which was hosted for the first time in Beijing, as  providing the opportunity.

Zheng said that President Trump’s  state visit to China last month achieved positive results. The two heads of  state agreed on a new vision of “building a  constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability”. President  Xi Jinping also expressed his expectation of 2026 to be a “historic, landmark  year” that opens up a new chapter in China-U.S. relations. These latest  developments mark a new starting point for the bilateral ties, where future  competition and differences can be managed within an overarching framework of  stability and constructive engagement. The current positive momentum has not  come easy and merits careful guarding.

Zheng emphasized that the key to  relations between major countries lies in understanding each other and  understanding a changing world. The greatest risk facing China and the United  States is not divergent interests, but rather misreading and misjudging one  another. This requires sustained efforts from all parties concerned and  involved to build trust and dispel doubts for the long haul. Over the past  several decades, Mr. Thornton has devoted himself to promoting exchanges with  China and helping various others in the United States gain a better  understanding of the country. He is an outstanding representative of these  efforts. At a time when China-U.S. relations remain complex, individuals such  as Mr. Thornton are needed more than ever to serve as bridges of  communication. The Chinese side highly appreciates his longstanding  contributions.

As regards the just-concluded  Trilateral Meeting among China, the United States, and Southeast Asia, Zheng  noted that the event’s continued success and broad participation reflect the  practical need for deeper exchanges and cooperation among the participating  countries. China will continue to support and strengthen this dialogue  mechanism over the long term and looks forward to Mr. Thornton’s continued  support.

Zheng formally invited Mr. Thornton  to attend the 10th Understanding China Conference scheduled to be  held in Guangzhou this December and deliver a keynote speech at its opening  ceremony. Zheng highlighted the fact that this year’s conference coincides  with the important milestone of its 10th edition and comes at a  critical juncture marked by the opening year of China’s 15th  Five-Year Plan period and the warming of China-U.S. relations, giving the  event particular historical significance. He said that China is steadily  advancing Chinese modernization and remains committed to opening up and  development, well-poised to continue sharing the benefits of its development  with the world. These aspirations are highly consistent with the spirit of  cooperation that Mr. Thornton has long championed.

Mr. Thornton expressed his appreciation  to Founding Chairman Zheng Bijian for the kind invitation to attend the 10th  Understanding China Conference and confirmed his participation. He highly  commended the value of the Trilateral Meeting platform and the unique role of  the Understanding China Conference. He expressed his willingness to continue  leveraging think tank channels to deepen people-to-people and academic  exchanges between the United States and China, helping to bridge perception  gaps and strengthen the foundations of U.S.- China friendship.

The two sides agreed to further  deepen regularized think tank cooperation and to make full use of Track II  exchanges to help ensure the steady development of China-U.S. relations.

Other senior leaders of CIIDS  attended the meeting, including Executive Vice Chairman of the Academic  Committee Mr. Li Junru,  Vice Chairman  and Secretary-General Mr. Wang Boyong, and Vice Chairman Mr. Feng Wei.