Chicago Council on Global Affairs

On June 18, the Council will convene the America at 250 Global Forum to reflect on America’s 250th anniversary and inform its future. The high-level conference features a robust agenda, including conversations on America’s geopolitical influence, the historic and contemporary significance of human rights, where America stands in the AI race, America’s role as a global economic power, and much more. Explore the newly released agenda and register to attend: bit.ly/3Ptl195 #250GlobalForum #US250 #AmericaAt250

President Trump brought some of America’s biggest tech leaders—including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang—to Beijing for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “AI is the most important technology in the world, and will remain the most important technology for the world for the foreseeable future. The country that's ahead will reap massive benefits in terms of technological innovation, economic benefits, [and] military capabilities," @ChrisRMcGuire, Senior Fellow at @CFR_org, tells Council President & CEO @londonvinjamuri when asked why the US needs to be ahead of China in AI. Catch this week's episode of Deep Dish to learn more: bit.ly/4tPsmOw

It was great to join @londonvinjamuri of the @ChicagoCouncil on the Deep Dish podcast to discuss the U.S.-China AI competition and the recent Trump-Xi summit. Thank you for having me! Listen to the conversation below.

In his book "The Greatest Sentence Ever Written," author @WalterIsaacson examines a single sentence that has defined, inspired, and challenged Americans for 250 years: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Earlier this week, he joined @CFR_org's @MaxBoot to unpack that sentence's origins, what it meant for the early United States, and what it means today as America marks its 250th anniversary. Watch the full conversation on our website: bit.ly/3Q49Ofh

Trump and Xi met in Beijing for a much-anticipated summit last week to discuss the 'Three Big T's:' trade, tariffs, and Taiwan.  According to recent @ChicagoCouncil-@NPR-@Ipsos polling, majorities of Americans see tariffs on China as bad for creating jobs in the United States (61%), for the US economy (66%), for their own standard of living and consumers like them (70%), and for the cost of living in the United States (76%). Yet Council Director of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Craig Kafura says he expects to see tariffs continue "to play a significant role in this administration's economic policy, especially toward China."  "Despite the fact that Americans don't like tariffs on Chinese goods, this is something that Trump has believed is a critical tool for US policy since the 1980s," Kafura said.  Learn more about American perceptions of US-China relations: bit.ly/49ghjGL

The authors of the Declaration of Independence believed in the powers of reason, persuasion, and debate. 250 years later, how do those ideas stand in the United States? While in conversation with @MaxBoot at the Council this week, author @WalterIsaacson shared his belief that America is losing sight of “a decent respect for the opinions of mankind.” “Our strength doesn’t just come from the number of aircraft carriers or drones—it comes from the fact that, around the world, people want to share our values.” Watch the full conversation on our website: bit.ly/3Q49Ofh

"I don't understand why it's necessary for the United States to say we must be number one. . . . One of the phenomenal sources of our competitiveness is that we're not actually nationalists. Within our home country, within our territory, we've been globalists at home. We've invited people in and we've been wise enough to take advantage of their intelligence, their phenomenal drive, and ambition." Council President and CEO @londonvinjamuri spoke last week at the American Identity Summit at the @UChicago, hosted by @ThinkerChicago and the Academic Sanity Consortium. Watch the full panel discussion: bit.ly/3Pp4RO5

What's next for the US-China relationship after the Trump-Xi summit? Council Marshall M. Bouton Senior Fellow for Asia Studies Raymond Kuo joined @wttw's Chicago Tonight to weigh in. Watch the full interview ➡️ bit.ly/4dlPMWO

"At every single level, the layers of cooperation are sort of at risk. Engagement is critical." Council President and CEO @londonvinjamuri joined @DisorderShow to discuss US President Donald Trump's recent trip to Beijing, the future of US-China relations, and more. Full conversation: bit.ly/4tUEOg0

Are you interested in joining the Council’s premier community of visionary local leaders? Ahead of the Class of 2027 application opening on July 1, the Council is hosting four virtual information sessions for potential applicants to the Emerging Leaders Program. Attendees will learn about the program and its various benefits from Executive Director of Global Leadership Programs Ariel Schwartz, as well as hear firsthand testimonies from past Emerging Leaders. Visit our website to learn more about the program and register for an info session: bit.ly/3M002Jv

Last week, Council President and CEO @londonvinjamuri delivered the closing keynote at the 11th annual University of Chicago China Forum. Founded by @ChicagoBooth in 2015, this conference brings together students, scholars, and industry leaders to explore the most cutting-edge China-US topics, foster cross-cultural dialogue, and promote deeper mutual understanding and collaboration. Vinjamuri’s remarks focused on bridging the gap between China and the United States and working towards a more collaborative future between the two superpowers.

Walter Isaacson, in conversation with Max Boot, discusses his new book and what the Declaration of Independence's most famous words mean for America as it marks its 250th anniversary. x.com/i/broadcasts/1…

US CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Cuba this week as the island faces dire fuel shortages. Council Senior Nonresident Fellow @cecileshea joined @dwnews to discuss the trip and what it signals about the Trump administration's evolving Cuba strategy. Watch the full conversation: bit.ly/3Re8GWT

"China is a real competitor here. They have talented researchers, they have access to the energy that you need to train advanced AI systems, and they're spending serious money." In the aftermath of the Trump-Xi summit, we're revisiting our Deep Dish episode with @CarnegieEndow's @nikitaalalwani on the high-stakes race to dominate AI and the chips that power it. Listen ⤵️ bit.ly/437CGq2

As Trump and Xi meet in Beijing, what’s at stake for the future of global order? Join @londonvinjamuri @ChicagoCouncil and I as we discuss Chinese strategy for global dominance and what might materialize from cross-Pacific engagement. brnw.ch/21x2uyk

An extraordinary lineup continues to take shape for the Council's America at 250 Global Forum—a timely gathering focused on America’s global role and the future of the international order at a pivotal moment. Featured speakers include @Princeton University's G. John Ikenberry, former National Security Council Senior Director for Transborder Katie Tobin, former US Deputy National Security Advisor @brhodes, @Columbia University's Lisa Anderson, @UChicago’s @ProfessorPape, @nytimes Columnist Jamelle Bouie, former UN World Food Programme Executive Director Catherine Bertini, and former White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Senior Advisor @deanwball among many others. Join us in Chicago on June 18 for this timely conversation. Space is limited. Register to confirm your participation today: bit.ly/3Ptl195 #250GlobalForum #US250 #AmericaAt250

“The tone of both Xi and Trump's remarks was positive," the Council's Raymond Kuo told @Newsweek following the summit. "Xi's comments in particular tried to align the meeting with China's touchpoints of national rejuvenation and opening up, as well as nudging the US toward a G2 construct where Washington and Beijing take particular responsibility in guiding global affairs.” bit.ly/3PsyTR1

"The Chinese have this concept of power that's much broader than military power. Military, information, resource, they're going over many different things," @osmastro told Council President and CEO @londonvinjamuri while unpacking China's ambitions on this week's Deep Dish episode. "So in the broadest sense, that's how China sees a great power: a country that can do whatever it wants to do without having to worry about what anyone else has to say about it." bit.ly/4wvvhy8

For over 150 years, the American civil service has ensured continuity in government through a professional corps of diplomats, analysts, and administrators who put policy into action and carry institutional knowledge from one administration to the next. Yet recent reforms have revived an enduring question: How can the value of expertise be preserved while ensuring democratic accountability in government? Yesterday, the Council partnered with @ulcchicago for a special luncheon featuring @FukuyamaFrancis and @londonvinjamuri in which they examined the civil service, democratic governance, and the future of American diplomacy. This event is part of the Council's America at 250 initiative focused on the critical questions that will define America's future. Learn more about the initiative on our website: bit.ly/4eP5JGa

Has US strategy toward China fundamentally changed? “It was as if the president decided that the United States was now content to run aside China rather than slow it down or run faster,” Council Distinguished Nonresident Fellow Evan Medeiros wrote in a recent Council analysis cited by the @nytimes. nytimes.com/2026/05/13/opi…