Professor and Chairman of the Department of Political Science Elizabeth Freund Larus.
In an interview with Vietnam News on the eve of the Alaska meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials, PSIA Professor Elizabeth Larus indicated that the U.S. and China, as influential countries, need to talk face-to-face. Professor Larus indicated that the timing of the meeting was significant, following China’s “Two Sessions” and the Blinken/Austin trips to allies South Korea and Japan. Dr. Larus anticipated no breakthroughs on U.S.-China relations, and that the U.S. and Chinese media would differ in their accounts of the meeting. https://baotintuc.vn/the-gioi/gioi-chuyen-gia-my-danh-gia-y-nghia-tich-cuc-cua-doi-thoai-cap-cao-mytrung-20210320200349424.htm (English translation available.)
Dr. Larus also commented on the sparks that flew between the U.S. and China at their March 17 Alaska meeting on In Focus South Asia. She indicated that Washington was likely surprised by the vehemence with which China responded to U.S. criticisms of Beijing’s actions on a number of hot button issues. Professor Larus’s comments begin at six minutes into the program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKIJFQeL2mI