Location: The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium

Chinese President Hu Jintao, once viewed as a quiet reformist, has proved to be quite the opposite. Censorship, arbitrary arrests, and suppression of descent, have increased, much to the dismay of Chinese intellectuals. In foreign policy, Hu is also an activist, including bold initiatives such as the first joint China-Russia military exercise, not to mention China’s unprecedented military buildup.

Hu arrives in Washington on Sept. 6 on his second U.S. visit. While outward signs are that the visit will be cordial, there are hints of significant strain. For example, while former Secretary of State Colin Powell frequently called the China-U.S. relationship “the best in decades,” current Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice characterizes it as “complex.” With stark differences between Washington and Beijing on North Korea, terrorism, Iran, trade, exchange rates and, of course, human rights, has the relationship morphed into something completely different?

Please join us for a discussion of these and other issues as Washington prepares for the important visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao.