Charting Five Decades of Women’s Diplomacy in U.S.-China Relations

The often-unsung role of women diplomats in shaping U.S.-China ties took
center stage at the annual Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations this
January, as The Carter Center convened experts to examine women’s contributions to the bilateral relationship over five decades.

The two-day forum featured roundtable discussions and panels on the influence of person-to-person exchanges as building blocks of diplomacy, especially amid geopolitical and economic tension.

“For this forum to feature so many women experts prominently — not just one or two — is powerful, especially in this moment,” said Rosie Levine, executive director of the U.S.-China Education Trust.

“Our two governments don’t always see eye to eye, and experts are often caught in the crossfire.”

The forum is a critical venue for constructive dialogue on U.S.-China relations, a
legacy rooted in President Carter’s decision to normalize ties in 1978.

“The Carter Center plays a critical role in strengthening dialogue and people-to
people links between the U.S. and China through events like the forum,” said keynote speaker Sarah Beran, a former senior U.S. diplomat whose 23-year foreign service career focused primarily on China. “These efforts will become increasingly important as diplomatic channels dwindle and frictions increase.