Rule of Law in China, 10 Years after the 709 Crackdown

Monday, July 7th

2:00 – 3:00 PM ET

Starting on July 9, 2015, Chinese authorities detained hundreds of human rights lawyers and advocates, many of whom received long prison sentences, in what became known as the 709 Crackdown. This marked an important turning point for the rule of law in China, as well as the country's evolving political system and its development path. Ten years later, the events of 709 continue to shape Chinese society, politics, and legal institutions. Please join the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies for this online event, in which leading scholars and practitioners will reflect on China's rights protection movement, the crackdown against it, and what we can learn from 709 in understanding today's China. The discussion will feature Nicholas Bequelin, Research Scholar in Law and Senior Fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, Jonathan Czin, Michael H. Armacost Chair in Foreign Policy Studies and Fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution, Donald Clarke, David Weaver Research Professor Emeritus of Law with the George Washington University Law School, and Yaqiu Wang, a prominent Chinese human rights researcher and advocate. The event will be moderated by Henrietta Levin, Senior Fellow with the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies.

America at Home and Abroad: A Conversation with Nicholas Kristof

Tuesday, July 8th

2 PM – 2:45 PM ET

From covering the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and South Sudan, to examining America’s evolving status on the global stage under the Trump Administration, to mounting concerns about American democracy, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and New York Times opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof has had plenty to cover over the first half of 2025. Kristof’s columns always inspire discussion and debate about the most pressing issue of our time. Join Aaron David Miler as he sits down with Kristof for one such discussion on the next Carnegie Connects, as they take a grand tour of the state and fate of the American Republic at home and abroad. 

State of the global economy: Navigating a new era of heightened uncertainty

Thursday, July 10th

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM ET

Just as the world began to show signs of recovery after a series of adverse shocks in the past few years, the global economy is once again contending with mounting economic and political headwinds. Rising trade tensions and heightened policy uncertainty are fueling economic instability. Rapidly escalating geopolitical conflicts, including the recent Iran-Israel war, threaten to further upend global economic prospects. Against this backdrop, what should we expect in the next year and beyond? As the era of free trade has come to a halt and protectionist measures gain traction, how will the patterns of international trade shift? Will this trend create a worldwide recession, and how can policymakers navigate these uncertain times? This program will convene a panel of experts to discuss the state of the global economy and their views on the path ahead. This event will feature introductory remarks by Brahima S. Coulibaly, vice president of the Global program, and will be followed by a presentation on the findings of the World Bank Group’s latest Global Economic Prospects report. The presentation will then lead to a moderated panel discussion among leading experts on the global economy.

Book Talk | The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan

Thursday, July 10th

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET

How has Abdullah’s relationship with the U.S. both facilitated his political longevity and undermined his legitimacy amid Jordan's dismal economy and neighboring turmoil? In the new book, The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan former Amman-based journalist Aaron Magid unpacks how Abdullah's close ties to Washington have influenced his decision-making. Magid details Abdullah's personal ties with the United States: he attended high school in Massachusetts, trained with the U.S. Army in Kentucky, and even appeared on a Star Trek episode. While the Hashemite ruler has frequently been lauded in the West, Magid explains how some of Abdullah's decisions provoked controversy domestically. In conversation with Annelle Sheline, research fellow at the Quincy Institute, this talk will focus on why Abdullah often prioritizes decisions that will please Washington rather than his own population, how this mirrors dynamics in other Arab security partners, and how Washington may be making a bad bet on the logic of authoritarian stability.

Fireside Chat with Richard Fontaine and Edward Luce

Thursday, July 10th

1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security advisor to President Jimmy Carter, was one of America’s most influential foreign policy makers and thinkers. His rise from Polish immigrant to respected academic to the upper echelons of Washington was emblematic of a new kind of foreign policy professional and was shaped by the dramatic global events of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Over the decades, he influenced generations of national security strategists and practitioners. This new biography of Brzezinski, written by Edward Luce, U.S. national editor and columnist at the Financial Times, covers his unique life, work, and lasting impact on U.S. foreign policy. This event will feature a live, virtual conversation between Luce, and Richard Fontaine, CEO of CNAS.

What comes next for transatlantic trade

Friday, July 11th

10:30 AM ET

The next chapter of trade and economic relations between the United States and the European Union (EU) is uncertain. So far, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 10 percent baseline reciprocal tariffs (and threatened to raise them to 50 percent for the EU, before suspending them until July 9) in addition to separate U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum and cars. Such measures carry immense implications for the world’s largest trade and investment relationship. Negotiations between Washington and Brussels are ongoing to address the tariffs and other trade irritants—such as digital service taxes or non-tariff barriers in Europe—which will carry the potential to reshape the larger trade relationship. Following the conclusion of the ninety-day pause of elevated U.S. reciprocal tariffs on July 9, this expert panel will unpack the state of U.S.-EU trade talks, the implications of any deal or lack thereof, and how both sides of the Atlantic should shape the future of transatlantic trade and economic relations.