Paving the Way: The Future of U.S.-China Trade Relations

Date & time: Thurs, April 2, 2026 / 3:30-4:30pm (Viet coffee, Thai tea, and pastries provided)

Location: WCC B010

Register here

Speakers: 

Susan Thornton, Senior Fellow at the Yale Law Paul Tsai China Center; former Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (2017-18)

Amb. Dennis Shea ‘86, Executive Vice President and chair of the J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy; former Deputy USTR and U.S. Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Timothy Stratford ‘81, Senior Counsel at Covington; former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (2005-10)

Moderator: Professor Mark Wu, Henry L. Stimson Professor of Law and Director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies

The U.S. and China are the world’s two largest economies, constituting nearly half of the global GDP and manufacturing output. They are also each other’s largest trading partners. Yet, over the past decade, their trade relationship has faced steep challenges characterised by an ongoing trade war, intense strategic competition, and geopolitical tensions. Gathering experts on international trade and policy, this panel looks into the history and future of U.S.-China trade relations under the current presidential administration, as well as its implications for law students and the broader Asian legal community interested in practicing in that region.