A Luncheon & Discussion On:"U.S./China Relations Amidst Growing Rivalry in Global Technological Dominance" with Dr. Penelope Prime, Founding Director, China Research Center

A Luncheon and Discussion:

On

"U.S/China Relations Amidst Growing Rivalry in Global Technological Dominance"

With 

 Dr. Penelope (Penny) Prime 

Founding Director, China Research Center 

At our last Luncheon we focused on U.S./China relations from the perspective of the Chinese citizenry, we will now pivot to analyzing the relationship from a macro political-economic lens. 

Against the backdrop of growing tech rivalry, complicated by President Trump’s complex diplomatic engagement with leaders in Beijing and Moscow, fundamental questions arise about the future trajectory of the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship. We will explore the current state of U.S./China relations amidst escalating economic and strategic friction, how is China adapting its foreign policy, economic counter-strategies, and regional posture in response to Washington’s moves, and whether hawks and pragmatists within the Trump administration are converging toward a unified policy, or do competing visions remain?

Join us for an invigorating discussion with a leading international economic expert as we examine the forces shaping the next chapter of U.S./China relations and what it means for the global order.

JOIN US: 

Date: Thursday, September 17th, 2026

Time: 11:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. 

Venue: Capital City Club (Downtown)

7 John Portman Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30303 

Parking: Complimentary valet parking is available 

You Must Register in Advance to Attend 

Registration Closes Monday, September 14th, at 10 a.m.

Cancellation Policy: If you need to cancel, please do so not later than 48 hours before the event. ACIR is charged for your meal, so no refund can be provided.

Meet China Research Center's Founding Director

Dr. Penelope (Penny) Prime

Beginning with her first visit to China in 1976, Dr. Prime has more than four decades of experience studying the dynamic Chinese economy. After majoring in Chinese studies and studying Mandarin as an undergraduate, she earned a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Michigan. She was one of the first U.S. graduate students to visit China for dissertation research after the U.S. and China normalized relations.

Dr. Prime is the Founding Director of the China Research Center and Managing Editor of China Currents. She was clinical professor at the Institute of International Business, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University from 2012 to 2020; professor at Mercer University, 2006 to 2012, earning tenure; and professor at Kennesaw State University, 1991 to 2006, earning tenure.  Between 1987 and 2009, she co-developed and led eight eleven-week, student-focused seminars with Carleton College to Asia and China.  She has also taught at Emory University and Duke Kunshan University as a visiting professor.

Dr. Prime’s experience includes directing study abroad programs, taking over 400 students to China; conducting field research in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong; traveling across China and living in Nanjing and Beijing for extended periods of time; analyzing China’s economy for the Center for International Research at the U.S. Bureau of the Census from 1991-1998; and working with companies on China strategy, business environment, negotiations, and cultural understanding.

Dr. Prime’s research focuses on China’s economy and business environment, including topics such as China’s foreign trade and investment, industrial and technological progress, and provincial development, as well as applied business and economics cases on China and Asia. Her books include Global Giant: Is China Changing the Rules of the Game? (co-edited with Eva Paus and Jon Western, Palgrave McMillan, 2009) and Taiwan’s Democracy: Economic and Political Challenges (co-edited with Robert Ash and John W. Garver, Routledge, 2011).

Her articles have been published in Growth & Change, Economic Development Quarterly, Applied Economics, Economic Development and Cultural Change, China Economic Review, The Chinese Economy, Pacific Economic Review, Osaka Economic Papers, and Business Economics, among others. She serves on the editorial boards of China Economic Review and Eurasia Geography & Economics, and Routledge’s China Belt and Road Initiative project, and has received numerous grants, including from the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Scholarly Communications with the PRC, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

In 2001, Dr. Prime launched the China Research Center. This non-profit organization is a center of expertise focusing on contemporary China, whose mission is to promote research and education about greater China. Dr. Prime is also a member of the National Committee for U.S.-China Relations.

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