Dr. Thomas J. Christensen, China foreign policy expert, will visit the Library as the special guest speaker for this month’s Great Decisions discussion group. Great Decisions, is a program of the Foreign Policy Association hosted by the library once a month, where community members discuss the topical issues in world affairs. May’s topic will focus on Dr. Christensen’s article from the Great Decisions briefing book: “Competition, Cold War, or Conflict? Navigating U.S.-China Relations in Tense Times.”
Dr. Christensen’s research and teaching focus on China’s foreign relations, the international relations of East Asia, and international security. In 2006, the White House and U.S. State Department selected Dr. Christensen—then a professor at Princeton—as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, with responsibility for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia. He is currently Professor of Public and International Affairs and Director of the China and the World Program at Columbia University, a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a Non-Resident Senior Scholar at the Brookings Institution.
Everyone is invited to join the conversation or participate as an observer on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. The Great Decisions series is funded by The Friends of the Summit Free Public Library.
— Rebecca Cohan, Reference Librarian