Public Engagement — We suggest a series of seminars / webinars / panel discussions / townhall forums that will range from introductory to in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics. These meetings will be open to all interested individuals. There are numerous opportunities for comparative informational exchanges / historical experiences / collaborations among all of us. A sample list below contains some suggested, and by no means exhaustive, topics.

History of China and its People — The rise and fall of successive dynasties in the last four thousand years; China’s peaceful relationships with its neighbors; inventions and innovative breakthroughs in farming and the arts; China’s vast influences on its neighbors in terms of philosophy, literature, cultural practices, adoption of the lunar calendar, etc. Some sample topics:

• Tea and Opium: their vast and long-lasting impact on China
• History of assimilation in China that led to its population being 92% Han
• History of non-military exploration and doing business overseas
• China’s recent military buildup as a continuation of an age-old defensive military strategy
• China’s longtime tributary system and non-military involvement in the South China Sea
• Japanese occupation of China 1937-1945
• Colonization of Taiwan by the Netherlands, Spain, and Japan before 1945
• Socialism with Chinese characteristics
• How to think like the Chinese and see world events through the long lens of Chinese perspective as the dominant country in Asia throughout much of its 4500 years of history; its reverence for age and wisdom, and its emphasis on education, remain the basis for advancement in the Chinese Communist Party
• China’s Century of Humiliation: The “Sick Man” in Asia
• Potsdam Declaration after WWII and the U.S. role in the disputed Diao Yu Dao islands
• China’s world view
• Governance of China and China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative
• Speed of Chinese development – difficult for the West to comprehend, as its centralized planning and development are rapid compared to democratic bureaucratic nations

https://thewaternetwork.com/article-FfV/decisive-action-drives-development-SJxu5DB40pCeS2H_lqpn7A

History of the U.S. and Europe — There is a wide range of discussion topics that can help broaden Western viewpoints:

• The vast impact of the Doctrine of Discovery and lingering effects of colonialism on both European colonizers and their former colonies around the world
• History of slavery in the U.S.
• How the U.S. Marshall Plan and its success in the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after WWII led to the U.S. becoming the pre-eminent world leader 
• The Cold War with Russia and the U.S. commitment to stop the spread of Communism 
• The U.S. and decolonization – strong support for colonies to gain independence and move toward democracy
• Creating new and updating established global institutions: United Nations, World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, etc., and fair treatment for developing nations 
• Western Eurocentrism and Sinocentrism
• Can the U.S. make room for China, a soon-to-be equally dominant world force? Can it recognize that its democratic form of government may not work for all other countries?