Zhe Sun Keynote Speaker

Co-Director of the China Initiative at Columbia University
Leading scholar on US-China relations and comparative politics
Author of more than 20 books on Chinese politics, governance and international affairs

Zhe Sun's Biography

Zhe Sun is a visiting senior research scholar and co-director of the China Initiative at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He is the founding director of the Center for U.S.-China Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing and has previously taught at Fudan University and Ramapo College of New Jersey. He is a graduate of Fudan University and has a Ph.D in Political Science from Columbia University.

Zhe Sun is the author and editor of more than twenty books on comparative politics and U.S.-China relations, including New Thinking on Human Rights (1992), The Politics of Dictatorship (1995), Influencing the Future: the Institutional Transformation and the Decision Making Process of the U.S. Congress (2001), The Studies of U.S. Congress Series (2002, 2003), U.S. Congress and China: Cases and Analyses (2003), Rise and Expansion: American Domestic Politics and US-China Relations (2004), The Remaking of the National People’s Congress in China, 1979-2000 (2004), American Studies in China: 1979-2006 (2007), and Tsinghua Review of US-China Relations (2009-2015).

Zhe Sun served as a senior consultant to the US-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue, a senior policy adviser to the Office of Taiwan Affairs of the State Council. He is a board member of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs and the US-China Peoples’ Friendship Association, also serving as an independent director of CitiGroup (China) Ltd. as well as MGM (China) Ltd.

US-China Relations and Strategic Competition

China's Political System and Foreign Policy

Geopolitics in Asia-Pacific

Global Affairs and International Relations

China's Role in the Changing World Order

He helps leaders and organisations understand the evolving relationship between the United States and China, equipping audiences with practical insights into geopolitics, diplomacy and the future of international relations.
He translates decades of academic research and policy experience into clear, actionable perspectives on global affairs, helping businesses and policymakers navigate geopolitical risk, cross-border engagement and strategic competition.
He combines world-leading scholarship with first-hand policy experience, offering a unique perspective shaped by senior advisory roles to both Chinese government institutions and international organisations, alongside an extensive academic career in China and the United States.
As Co-Director of the China Initiative at Columbia University, founding director of the Center for U.S.-China Relations at Tsinghua University and author or editor of more than 20 books, he is one of the foremost authorities on U.S.-China relations and comparative politics.
His insightful keynotes equip audiences with practical frameworks to understand geopolitical change, strengthen international engagement and navigate the complexities of an increasingly interconnected world.