Susan Thornton is a Senior Fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, which she joined following a 28-year diplomatic career. She most recently served as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
Last Updated: December 10, 2018
Conversation
07.30.21
Will Beijing Invade Taiwan?
What, precisely, are Beijing’s plans for Taiwan? In recent years, there has been no small amount of saber rattling, with aggressive naval drills, aerial incursions, and warnings that force would be used for reunification if necessary. But given the...
Conversation
06.03.20
Has COVID-19 Changed How China’s Leaders Approach National Security?
While the world is reeling from the cascading shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has continued a comparatively aggressive course in its foreign policy and security posture. Not only has it continued military and paramilitary activities in the...
Conversation
07.08.19
The Other Tiananmen Papers
In the wake of the lethal use of force by China’s military against demonstrators in Tiananmen Square and citizens of Beijing on June 4, 1989, the United States and other governments were confronted with a series of vexing moral and policy questions...
China in the World Podcast
04.15.19
Susan Thornton on a Crisis in U.S.-China Relations
from Carnegie China
Over three years into Trump’s presidency, U.S.-China trade and economic issues remain unresolved while security concerns are creeping into the bilateral agenda. Thornton contends that Washington and Beijing should quickly agree on an initial trade...
Conversation
12.11.18
Is this the Beginning of a New Cold War?
Beyond complicating trade negotiations between the United States and China, the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou has renewed concerns that the two countries are embarking on a new Cold War, based on economic preeminence and technological innovation...