Event Summary
On December 11-16, 2001, the Preventive Defense Project (PDP), in collaboration with the Beijing-based China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies and the New York-based National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, held a "Track II" dialogue with Chinese defense, military, diplomatic, and academic leaders at Stanford.
Track II dialogues are nongovernmental discussions designed to examine issues too controversial to be meaningfully discussed in official "Track I" bilateral discussions and to serve as a forum for confidence-building between nations. The Track II channel established by PDP has been identified by Chinese President Jiang Zemin as "the Track II" dialogue between the United States and China, particularly regarding cross-Taiwan Strait relations.
PDP co-directors Ashton Carter and William Perry were joined in the U.S. delegation by Brookings Institution President and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan and the Philippines and Undersecretary of State Michael Armacost; Vice President of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Jan Berris; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Kurt Campbell; President of the Pacific Forum CSIS Ralph Cossa; Deputy Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy on the Army Staff Brigadier General (P) Karl Eikenberry; President of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations John Holden; former Undersecretary of State Arnold Kanter; George and Sadie Hyman Professor of China Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies David Lampton; retired Admiral and former U.S. Ambassador to China Joseph Prueher; retired General and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall; and Chairman of Carnegie Corporation''s international peace and security division David Speedie. The Chinese delegation was chaired by former PRC Ambassador to the United Nations Qin Huasun.
The off-the-record meeting focused on the future of the U.S.-China strategic relationship after September 11, as well as outstanding issues on the Taiwan Straits, crisis management, and missile defense and arms control. These discussions followed successfully on similar dialogues held in China and Hawaii in 1998. Both Chinese and American participants expressed a desire to continue these Track II discussions as soon as practicable.
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