America’s Changing Strategic Assumptions about China: Implications for the Bilateral Relationship
2026-01-13 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | TX
In his talk, David Firestein will examine how key U.S. assumptions about China and strategic aspirations and intentions have changed over the last ten to fifteen years and analyze and assess the impact of these shifts on U.S. policy choices and policy performance.
This event is by invitation-only. Please notify us of your interest to receive an invitation by providing your contact information in the form below. Priority registration is available for World Affairs Council of Austin members. Bring your invitation to the event. Invitations are non-transferable.

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David J. Firestein is the inaugural president and CEO of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations (Bush China Foundation) and a founding and current member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Before joining the Bush China Foundation, Mr. Firestein was the founding executive director of The University of Texas at Austin’s (UT) China Public Policy Center (CPPC) and a clinical professor at UT’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
A decorated career U.S. diplomat from 1992–2010, Mr. Firestein specialized primarily in U.S.-China relations, posted in both Beijing, China, and Moscow, Russia. Mr. Firestein is the author or co-author of three books on China, including two China-published Chinese-language best-sellers, as well as numerous China-focused monographs, policy reports, and articles.

Globalist Coffeehouse: China in the First Decades of the 21st Century
2026-02-04 18:30 - 20:00 | 5280 Burger and Taphouse, 7032 Wood Hollow Dr, Austin, TX, 78731, United States
NEW DATE: February 4th
In the decades to come, what will China’s role be in the global world order? The relationship with the U.S. has been one of competition but also cooperation on certain global issues, such as climate change. Still, it is said that the “Belt and Road Initiative” might become the “Belt and World Initiative” as they move into the vacuum the U.S. has created, from Africa to Asia and the Indian subcontinent. And finally, how will our traditional allies view their relationship with China?
Please join us for what will be a discussion that will dominate global interests for years, if not decades, to come.
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WorldNow: The Great Firewall with Yi-Ling Liu
2026-02-10 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
Journalist Yi-Ling Liu takes us behind the Great Firewall to the reality of 30 years of surveillance and censorship on the Chinese Internet.

Thirty years ago, the world began to discover the power of the Internet: a digital world and resource to connect, share ideas, learn, and earn. While the rest of the world connected, the Chinese government began creating a system of strict surveillance and censorship on its internet – now known as the Great Firewall.
Today, as the country’s leadership intensifies its control of public discourse and Western headlines reduce the Chinese public to a faceless monolith, what is the true online and on-the ground reality for Chinese citizens?
Join us February 10th on WorldNow as author and journalist Yi-Ling Liu tells the untold story of the Chinese internet. Hear how Chinese citizens have navigated the last 30 years of surveillance and censorship while searching for freedom and connection – behind the Great Firewall.

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The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet by Yi-Ling Liu
An eye-opening exploration of the Chinese internet that reveals the intricate dance between freedom and control in contemporary China
In the late 1990s, as the world was waking up to the power and emancipatory promise of the internet, Chinese authorities began constructing a system of online surveillance and censorship now known as the Great Firewall. But far from being a barren landscape, the digital world that sprouted up behind the firewall brimmed with new subcultures and tech innovations, offering many Chinese citizens previously unimaginable connection and opportunity.
Today, as the country’s leadership intensifies its control of public discourse and Western headlines reduce the Chinese public to a faceless monolith, journalist Yi-Ling Liu presents an intimate portrait of China’s online ecosystem—and a crucial lens into the on-the-ground reality of life there. Tracing the last three decades of the Chinese internet’s evolution—from its lexicon to its memes to the precise nature of its censorship—she equips readers with a critical tool to assess the past, present, and future of a global power.
Drawing on years of firsthand reporting, The Wall Dancers weaves together the stories of individuals navigating China’s transformation into both the world’s largest online user base and one of its most populous authoritarian states. As these entrepreneurs, activists, artists, and dreamers experience the internet’s power as a tool for both control and liberation, they grapple with universal questions of success and authenticity, love and solidarity, faith and resilience.
The Wall Dancers is at once an unforgettable work of human storytelling and a vital exploration of what it means to live with dignity and hope within the technological systems that now shape all our lives.
Pre-order a copy of The Wall Dancers, coming February 3rd, 2026.

Asia x Austin International Summit at SXSW
2026-03-17 12:00 - 21:00 | Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX, 78704, United States
The Asia x Austin International Summit returns in 2026!
Attendees will hear from international trade experts and country representatives about business and investment opportunities in some of Asia’s most dynamic and robust markets.
Agenda At-A-Glance
Explore expanded session details below.
VENUE: KODOSKY DONOR LOUNGE (12 – 9 pm)
12:00 – 1:45 pm
[session info]Why Asia?:
The Central Texas Connection
1:45 – 2:00 pmNetworking Break
2:00 – 3:15 pm
[session info]Development @ Asia x Austin:
The Heart of the Texas Triangle
3:15 – 3:30Networking Break
3:30 – 6:00 pm
[session info]Technology @ Asia x Austin:
Robots, Chips & Rockets
6:00-6:30 pmNetworking Break
6:30 – 9:00 pm
[session info]Asia x Austin After Dark:
Cinema, Soul & Sound
VENUE: 701 GALLERY (2 – 6:45 pm)
2:00 – 3:15 pm
[session info]Markets @ Asia x Austin:
The Trade & Investment Connection
3:15 – 3:30 pmNetworking Break
3:30 – 5:30 pm
[session info]Startups @ Asia x Austin:
Born Global!

5:30 – 6:45 pm
[session info]
Creators @ Asia x Austin:
Get Noticed!

MORE DETAILS HERE
