Charles Ray was first posted to Guangzhou in the south, and Shenyang in the northeast — both major trading posts today, but relatively unknown when he lived there. Later serving as America's top envoy to Cambodia and Zimbabwe, he speaks about culture and identity, and the challenges for two nations shaping the world.

As a young child born, Charles Ray's imagination was captured by the National Geographic magazines he read in a relative's home. As an adult, he joined the US foreign service, moving to China in the early 1980s where he served in Guangzhou and Shenyang

In my recent essay for Foreign Affairs, I propose a new engagement consensus between the United States and China to build upon what might be called the G2RS, a vision of the two powerhouses, plus a G2 of responsible stakeholders.

The Alaska talks raise new questions about the state of the US-China relationship, say Professor Wang Jisi of Peking University and Professor David Lampton of Johns Hopkins University. Harsh rhetoric, different approaches and the absence of a joint closing statement may be an indication of a new style of diplomacy.

Henry Kissinger's vision for a Pacific community that would safeguard the world has inspired the work of a special initiative co-led by Professor Wang Jisi of Peking University and Professor David Lampton of Johns Hopkins University.

Now that the headlines of the Alaska talks have gone, what follows next for the two nations that steer global humanity? What is emerging is a part competitive, part cooperative relationship for the US and China — and a different approach to crafting their own destinies, while making "big power" friends.

Caspar Lant is a recent physics graduate from New York University, whose research interests include electron spectroscopy and improving air quality in global urban centers, a project he pursues at the NYU Shanghai Campus. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to China, but changed plans after the prestigious exchange program was canceled by the Trump administration.

This special explainer video is written and narrated for China-US Focus by Ambassador He Yafei, former Vice Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China. Taking a deep dive into the global challenges ahead of us, Ambassador He crafts his thoughts around geopolitics, the tech revolution, and the combination of traditional and non-traditional security threats. But he also provides solutions that will help us back away from the tipping point, by bringing humanity closer together through addressing the income and social gaps that divide us. Ambassador He also served as China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.