Dr. Evan Medeiros stepped down in summer 2015 after serving nearly six years as a key advisor on Asia in the White House National Security Council, including two years as the Senior Director and Special Assistant to the President for Asian Affairs. He is one of the longest serving officials on President Obama’s NSC staff and was his longest serving advisor on Asia-Pacific affairs. Dr. Medeiros previously worked for seven years (2002-2009) as a senior political scientist at the RAND corporation. In 2009, he published the book China’s International Behavior: Activisim, Opportunism and Diversification (RAND, 2009).
As the summit between U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping approaches, the bilateral relationship is at a critical juncture. U.S.-China trade and investment ties are deepening even as China’s growth rate slows and its stock market slumps. Meanwhile, security concerns involving the South China Sea and cyber space demonstrate that mutual trust between the two countries remains limited. Addressing these challenges cooperatively is an important means of ensuring that the U.S.-China relationship remains stable and constructive.
