Ex-US diplomat Stephen Orlins: 50‑year front‑row seat to turbulent China-US relations
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About this film
As APEC prepares to host a series of high‑profile diplomatic meetings, seasoned advocate for China-US relations Stephen Orlins offers a grounded perspective. A former junior State Department participant in diplomatic normalization process, Orlins has witnessed China's sweeping transformations across five decades
Orlins acknowledges that advocates of engagement often face heavy criticism, but he remains firm in his belief that shared threats, from climate change to public health challenges, demand joint action. This is not a zero‑sum race.
Now stepping down after 21 years leading the National Committee on US‑China Relations, he leaves one message louder than any policy brief: People‑to‑people exchanges are irreplaceable. APEC meetings can open doors, but lasting progress depends on the slower, harder work of mutual understanding, cultivated in classrooms, cities and conversations carried forward by the next generation.
#ChinaUS #Orlins #APEC #APECChina2026 #APECChinaYear
00:00 - Reflections on a career in US-China relations 01:17 - Witnessing history: Normalization and Deng's 1979 visit 06:33 - First arrival in Beijing and China's transformation 10:35 - Patience, conviction, and the case for constructive relations 15:50 - Passing the baton: The next generation of China experts 20:02 - Shifting US strategic goals and common threats 28:24 - Midterms, APEC, G20, and strategic stability 31:33 - Win-win vs. win-lose: AI, climate, and security dialogue 34:55 - What China should Do: Opening pharma, finance, and investment 40:42 - Learning Chinese: The 1970 decision that changed a life 48:46 - China's identity, proudest moments, and a personal bond
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