2025 Rocky Mountain Retreat on China-U.S. Relations Held in Haikou

From April 8 to 10, 2025, the 2025 Rocky Mountain Retreat (RMR) on China-U.S. Relations, co-hosted by the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance (hereinafter referred to as the “Huayang Center”) and the Arsenault Family Foundation of the U.S., was held in Haikou. The inaugural round of the RMR took place in June 2023 in Boulder, Colorado. The second and third rounds were held respectively in Sanya, Hainan in January 2024 and in Colorado Springs, Colorado in November 2024.

This event marked the fourth round of the dialogue since the establishment of this Track II mechanism in 2023. Over 20 strategists, retired diplomats, and scholars from the Huayang Center, National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS), China Institute of International Studies, China (Hainan) Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD), Tsinghua University, Peking University, Nanjing University, Fudan University, and American delegates led by the Arsenault Family Foundation participated in candid and in-depth discussions on topics such as the China-U.S. relations, regional risk management and crisis avoidance in economic, trade and technological domains.

Dr. Wu Shicun, Chairman of the Huayang Center and Chairman of the Academic Committee of the NISCSS, and Dr. Connor Seyle, President of the Arsenault Family Foundation, delivered remarks on behalf of the co-hosting organizations at the opening and closing ceremonies, and jointly chaired the meeting. Prof. Chi Fulin, President of CIRD delivered a luncheon keynote speech, in which he introduced the policies and initiatives related to the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port.

Experts attending the meeting unanimously agreed that the China-U.S. relations are currently at a low point, and the tariff war launched by the Trump administration has posed unprecedented challenges to bilateral relations. In spite of the challenges, consensus was achieved that China and the U.S. should maintain communication and actively promote cooperation in critical areas closely related to the global development, peace and stability, such as AI regulation, climate change, public health, and non-proliferation. China and the U.S. should jointly take the responsibility of global governance.

During the meeting, both Chinese and the U.S. experts visited offices of the Huayang Center, the NISCSS and the CIRD.