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Few Americans have done more than Jerome A. Cohen to advance the rule of law in East Asia. The founder of the study of Chinese law in the United States and a tireless advocate for human rights, Cohen…
Centers & Programs
Asia Program
Asia’s rise will define the twenty-first century. Pressing matters in East, South, and Central Asia—from North Korea’s nuclear program to the economic ascension of China and India—have global implications far beyond the region’s borders. And what happens in Asia will shape and be shaped by American foreign policy, society, and trade. The Asia program at the Council on Foreign Relations informs policymakers, business leaders, and the public at large about the complex future that lies ahead for the world’s largest and most economically dynamic continent.
60% share of the world’s population living in Asia
Featured
Panelists discuss the future of U.S.-China relations under the new Trump administration, including recent developments relating to trade, technological innovation, and increasing military tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
If you wish to attend virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
This meeting is part of CFR's Transition 2025 Series, which examines the major foreign policy issues confronting the Trump administration and is presented in partnership with CFR’s China Strategy Initiative.
Myanmar, already devastated by political turmoil and humanitarian crises, faces further catastrophic consequences from a massive earthquake, exacerbating its status as a failed state.
Three questions framed Dr. Doshi’s remarks to the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security.
First, what are Beijing’s ambitions?
Second, how does it threaten homeland security in the cyber d…
Chinese authorities are steadily pivoting in the direction of actively promoting births. The 2025 government work report issued at the national legislative session in March witnessed a further evolution of Beijing's pro-natalist policies.
India believes it is well-positioned to navigate a second Trump administration and that U.S.-India relations will continue to deepen.
This interactive map tracks China’s growing maritime influence through investments in strategic overseas ports. Users can plot the location of each port and view satellite images alongside detailed information on the share of Chinese ownership, the total amount of Chinese investment, and the port’s suitability for use by the Chinese military.
China and Russia’s quasi-alliance endangers U.S. national interests. Its management will prove a generational task for American policymakers—but there are grounds for optimism, argue CFR Senior Fellow Robert Blackwill and Center for a New American Security CEO Richard Fontaine.
The United States’ relationship with China is at a new low, but Trump has a chance to redefine bilateral relations by locking China into the U.S.-led global system
India has enjoyed bipartisan support in the U.S. as a critical economic counterbalance to China, but the United States still has a tenuous grasp on its interests. In this series, three experts examine India’s position on digital trade, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and industrial policy.
On Friday, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and President Donald Trump sat down for the first time to discuss the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine evaluate the limitations of the Pivot to Asia and offer a compelling vision for the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific.
Democracy in Asia is rapidly deteriorating—accelerated by waning international support and democratic backsliding even in the region’s most established systems.
TSMC’s $100 billion will significantly boost America’s semiconductor manufacturing industry but how it will shape US-Taiwan relations is an open question.
Program Experts
Ira A. Lipman Chair in Emerging Technologies and National Security and Director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program
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Far beyond cultural exchange, pandas have long served as instruments of Chinese soft power. Panelists will discuss the history and strategic use of “panda diplomacy,” what it means to host a panda, and how symbolic gestures can shape bilateral ties and influence international relations. Members are encouraged to include their high school- or college-age children or grandchildren in this event. All members are welcome to attend. The conversation portion of this meeting is on the record. The question-and-answer portion of this meeting is not for attribution, meaning that participants are free to make use of the information shared at the meeting but may not attribute any quotes or content to any speakers or participants. Use of personal recording devices and cameras is prohibited. CFR reserves the right to take or use photographs for its own use. If you wish to attend virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. The Daughters and Sons meeting series is made possible by generous endowment support from The Marc Haas Foundation and the Stanley S. Shuman Family Foundation.
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Panelists discuss recent developments in the conflict between India and Pakistan, analyzing the drivers of escalation, the domestic political dynamics shaping bilateral relations, and the potential consequences for regional security, great power competition, and U.S. foreign policy in South Asia. This is a virtual meeting through Zoom. Log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this virtual meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
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Mark L. Clifford, president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, and Jerome A. Cohen, adjunct senior fellow for Asia studies at CFR, discuss the incredible story of billionaire and democracy activist Jimmy Lai. Clifford’s work chronicles Lai’s significance as a high-profile target of Hong Kong’s 2020 national security law. Clifford is the author of a recently published biography of Jimmy Lai, The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic.
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Alex L. Wang, professor of law at the UCLA School of Law, and Jerome A. Cohen, adjunct senior fellow for Asia Studies at CFR, discuss the story of China’s embrace of green development on the global stage.
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Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and Jerome A. Cohen, CFR adjunct senior fellow for Asia Studies, discuss a China policy for the American people. Getting the China challenge right is a crucial task for the incoming administration. How can U.S. policies benefit the other interests of Americans while protecting our national security?
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Jay Shambaugh discusses U.S.-China macroeconomic engagement and dialogue with Chinese leadership on overcapacity and economic imbalances. The C. Peter McColough Series on International Economics brings the world's foremost economic policymakers and scholars to address members on current topics in international economics and U.S. monetary policy. This meeting series is presented by RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership, a CFR initiative of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies. This meeting is also part of CFR’s China Strategy Initiative. For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
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Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at Center for a New American Security, and Milan Vaishnav, senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discuss the geopolitical implications of India’s general elections and the influence of religion on politics in India. Alyssa Ayres, dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and adjunct senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, moderates the discussion.
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The closely watched 2024 Taiwan presidential election recently concluded with the winning of Lai Ching-te, current vice president of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. In the legislature, however, no political party gained a majority. Syaru Shirley Lin, leading authority on East Asia–U.S. relations, faculty at the University of Virginia and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the author of Taiwan’s China Dilemma, discusses the implications of the presidential and legislative elections in terms of its changing social, political, and economic complexion and Taiwan’s future relations with the United States and China.
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Thomas Graham, distinguished fellow at CFR, and Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Maurice R. Greenberg fellow for China studies at CFR, lead the conversation on China-Russia relations. FASKIANOS: Welcome to today…