In June 1989, seven weeks of peaceful demonstrations in China ended in bloodshed when the People's Liberation Army was ordered to disband protesters in Tiananmen Square. Hundreds, if not thousands, were killed, and the incident became a defining moment in modern Chinese history. Though the demonstrators' hopes for a democratic society have not yet been realized, China has undergone significant changes since 1989.

What effects has Tiananmen had on the development of civil society in China? Has the Chinese Communist Party taken any substantive steps to reform itself and its rule? How have China's military modernization and economic development proceeded over the past two decades, and what are the strategic implications for the United States and its allies in Asia? At this event, leading experts on China will discuss these and other questions in a series of panel discussions to mark Tiananmen's twentieth anniversary.

The event will also mark the release of The Rise of China: Essays on the Future Competition (Encounter, 2009), edited by AEI's Gary J. Schmitt. Contributors to the volume challenge the prevailing benign view of China's rise and analyze what the United States and its allies might do in the areas of foreign and defense affairs to meet the challenges posed by China's increased political, economic, and military power. AEI's Nicholas Eberstadt, along with Robert Kagan and Ashley J. Tellis of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, will discuss their essays in the volume and prospects for U.S.-Chinese relations in the years ahead.