On May 8, 2019, SIAS jointly held a roundtable conference on China-US-Russia relations, together with the Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS). Elizabeth Wishnick, Professor of Political Science at Montclair State University and Senior Research Scholar at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute (WEAI) of Columbia University, visited SIAS and gave a lecture on “China-US-Russia Relations and the North Korean Nuclear Crisis”.

Professor Wishnick highlighted that while China and Russia have parallel but not identical interests in the North Korean nuclear crisis, their partnership poses a new challenge for the US in the crisis. The US needs to appreciate the differences in the Chinese and Russian positions and to avoid underestimating Russia’s role as well as overestimating China’s role in the North Korean crisis. she also argued that the US should coordinate its approach with the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan and insist on multilateral talks with North Korea.

Academics from SASS joined SIAS research staff at the meeting. They shared their views with Professor Wishnick on China-US relations and other hot-spot issues in international politics.