• Research
  • Strategic Europe
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Europe logoCarnegie lettermark logo
EUUkraine
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Jessica Tuchman Mathews",
    "Douglas H. Paal"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "asia",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "AP",
  "programs": [
    "Asia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North America",
    "United States",
    "East Asia",
    "China",
    "Taiwan"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

U.S.-China Relationship After Bush

The Sino-American relationship is one of the issues that looms largest as President-elect Obama prepares to assume office in less than two weeks. To asses the developments in that relationship over the last eight years, CCTV sat down with Jessica Mathews, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Douglas Paal, Vice President for Studies.

Link Copied
By Jessica Tuchman Mathews and Douglas H. Paal
Published on Nov 10, 2008

Source: CCTV's Dialogue

The Sino-American relationship is one of the issues that looms largest as President-elect Obama prepares to assume office.  To asses the developments in that relationship over the last eight years, CCTV sat down with Jessica Mathews, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Douglas Paal, Vice President for Studies.

Paal noted that although President Bush came to office as a strong Taiwan supporter, he came to be seen by many as a voice for Beijing because of deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Taiwan during Chen Shui-bian's term.  Both Mathews and Paal highlighted Bush's China policy as an exception to his legacy as a unilateralist, noting that the Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) has paved the way for sustained high-level exchanges and negotiations between the two countries.  Mathews predicted that Obama would continue the SED.  Paal added that the global financial crisis has illuminated the SED's strategic value, noting China's $586 stimulus package that was intended, at least in part, to mitigate the crisis' impact. 

Mathews and Paal emphasized that although neoconservatives held sway over much of Bush's foreign policy approach, they did not have the upper hand as far as China policy was concerned: President Bush regarded China as a country to be engaged.

About the Authors

Jessica Tuchman Mathews

Distinguished Fellow

Mathews is a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She served as Carnegie’s president for 18 years.

Douglas H. Paal

Distinguished Fellow, Asia Program

Paal previously served as vice chairman of JPMorgan Chase International and as unofficial U.S. representative to Taiwan as director of the American Institute in Taiwan.

Authors

Jessica Tuchman Mathews
Distinguished Fellow
Jessica Tuchman Mathews
Douglas H. Paal
Distinguished Fellow, Asia Program
Douglas H. Paal
Foreign PolicyNorth AmericaUnited StatesEast AsiaChinaTaiwan

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Europe

  • Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    Russia’s Imperial Retreat Is Europe’s Strategic Opportunity

    The war in Ukraine is costing Russia its leverage overseas. Across the South Caucasus and Middle East, this presents an opportunity for Europe to pick up the pieces and claim its own sphere of influence.

      William Dixon, Maksym Beznosiuk

  • Commentary
    Is the Radical-Right Threat Existential or Overstated?

    Amid increased polarization and the influence of disinformation, radical-right parties are once again gaining traction across Europe. With landmark elections on the horizon in several countries, are the EU’s geostrategic vision and fundamental values under existential threat?

      Catherine Fieschi, Cas Mudde

  • Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    Europe and the Arab Gulf Must Come Together

    The war in Iran proves the United States is now a destabilizing actor for Europe and the Arab Gulf. From protect their economies and energy supplies to safeguarding their territorial integrity, both regions have much to gain from forming a new kind of partnership together.

      • Rym Momtaz

      Rym Momtaz

  • Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    Taking the Pulse: Is France’s New Nuclear Doctrine Ambitious Enough?

    French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his country’s new nuclear doctrine. Are the changes he has made enough to reassure France’s European partners in the current geopolitical context?

      • Rym Momtaz

      Rym Momtaz, ed.

  • Commentary
    The Iran War’s Dangerous Fallout for Europe

    The drone strike on the British air base in Akrotiri brings Europe’s proximity to the conflict in Iran into sharp relief. In the fog of war, old tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean risk being reignited, and regional stakeholders must avoid escalation.

      Marc Pierini

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Europe
Carnegie Europe logo, white
Rue du Congrès, 151000 Brussels, Belgium
  • Research
  • Strategic Europe
  • About
  • Experts
  • Projects
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Gender Equality Plan
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Europe
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.