The Carter Center to Host 2026 ‘Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations’ Exploring the Role of Women in Shaping Relationships Between the Two Countries

ATLANTA (Jan. 13, 2026) — The Carter Center will convene leading diplomats, scholars, and experts for the annual Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations on Jan. 29–30, 2026.

This year’s forum will focus on the role of women in shaping relations between the two countries from the 1970s to the present. It will include a roundtable discussion bringing together different generations of women leaders, including experts who were among the first to officially travel to China at the start of normalization and diplomats who established their careers in the past decade. The forum will also include panels exploring new public opinion data on women’s perspectives on U.S.-China relations and the shared experiences of gender discrimination in American and Chinese society.

Paige tours Hangzhou.
The Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander tours Hangzhou at the 2025 Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations last year.

President Carter opened the first Carter Center Forum on U.S.-China Relations in December 2012 in Beijing, China. Since then, the forum has alternated between Atlanta and China, bringing together diplomats, academics, and other experts to share ideas on how the U.S.-China relationship can remain intact amid current geopolitical and trade tensions. The event reflects The Carter Center’s ongoing commitment to constructive bilateral engagement, a legacy rooted in former President Jimmy Carter’s decision to normalize U.S.-China relations in 1978.

Sarah Beran, a former senior U.S. diplomat, will open the forum on Jan. 29 with a keynote about her experience leading U.S. relations with China and broader observations about women in diplomacy in both Washington, D.C. and Beijing. On Jan. 30, guest speakers include experts who were part of the first generation to officially travel to China at the start of normalization, and those who have only established their careers in the last decade. Leta Hong Fincher, author of “Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China,” will give the luncheon lecture.

For the full agenda and to register, visit cartercenter.org.

The Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations is supported by the Center’s partners, Horizon Motor, Inc., Atlanta International Education Group, and Lee World Industries, LLC.

Event Details

  • Date and location:
    • Jan. 29, 2026, Atlanta, 2026, from 5-7:15 p.m. in the Cecil B. Day Chapel, The Carter Center, Atlanta
    • Jan. 30, 2026, from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Cyprus Room, The Carter Center, Atlanta
  • Public Access: The forum is open to the public and free to attend, but advance registration is required.

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Contact: media@cartercenter.org

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A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 90 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.