Announcing the 2026 China Focus Essay Contest

China Focus is pleased to announce the 2026 China Focus Essay Contest, jointly hosted with the 1990 Institute, the Fudan–UC Center on Contemporary China, The Carter Center, and the 21st Century China Center at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy.

We welcome original, evidence-based essays that engage thoughtfully with one of the topics below. Submissions may be written in English or Chinese.

Essay Topics (Choose ONE)

Topic 1: Cooperation amid Strategic Rivalry

How Can the U.S. and China Find Common Ground in Critical Global Issues?

As the U.S.-China relationship enters an era of strategic competition, areas of cooperation such as science and technology, climate, public health, and global security remain important for international growth and stability. This topic explores how both powers can balance competition with collaboration, identify concrete opportunities for joint or coordinated action, and reflect on their broader implications for the global system.

Guiding questions:

• In which issue area(s) can U.S.-China cooperation most effectively serve global interests despite strategic rivalry?
• Where are the most realistic opportunities for cooperation or coordination, and what concrete mechanisms could enable them?
• What lessons from past cooperative efforts (e.g., science diplomacy, climate action, public health, AI governance) can inform future U.S.–China collaboration?

Topic 2: Beyond the Trade War

How Is the U.S.-China Competition Reshaping the Asia-Pacific Regional Order?

Since 2018, U.S.-China competition in trade, technology, and security has profoundly reshaped the economic and political landscape of the Asia-Pacific region. This topic examines how regional countries are adapting, balancing, and repositioning themselves amid shifting power dynamics and strategic uncertainty.

Guiding questions:

• How are U.S.-China trade and industrial policies reshaping regional alliances and strategically important supply chains in the Asia-Pacific?
• How do countries such as Vietnam, Japan, or Indonesia navigate China-U.S. competition and adjust their strategic positioning?
• Can regional frameworks such as RCEP or APEC help build more resilient and sustainable regional economic networks?

Contest Requirements

• Eligibility: Open to undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates (enrolled, or have just graduated, during the 2025–26 academic year).
• Original work: Submissions must be the author’s original work.
• Language: English or Chinese.
• Style & length: Op-ed style; references may be provided as appropriate.
• English: up to 2,500 words
• Chinese: up to 3,000 characters/words
• Collaboration: Collaborative submissions are welcome; prize money must be split among collaborators.
• Review: Entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges drawn from China Focus advisers and other experts.

Prizes

• Two equal $1,000 prizes
  • 1990 Institute Prize
  • Jimmy Carter Prize
• Four runner-up prizes of $500 each

Winners will be selected based on overall quality. Awardees grant China Focus and co-sponsors the right to publish their essays and may be contacted about additional opportunities, such as adapting essays into teaching materials or participating in a summer panel discussion.

Contest Deadline

April 10, 2026, 11:59 PM Pacific Time

How to Enter

1. Email your essay to [email protected]
   Subject line: CF Contest2026-LastName
2. Send from your official university email address.
3. Attach your essay as a PDF.
4. Include a cover page with:

• Submission title
• Author name(s)
• Profile picture
• Affiliated school
• Degree (completed or being pursued this school year)
• Nationality
• 3–4 sentence bio
• An alternative (permanent) email address
• Where did you hear about the essay contest

For questions, please contact [email protected].

2026 “中国焦点”作文大赛 — 征稿启事

China Focus 现正式启动 2026“中国焦点”作文大赛。本次比赛由 China Focus 联合 1990 Institute（1990学社）、Fudan–UC Center on Contemporary China（复旦–加大当代中国研究中心）、The Carter Center（卡特中心） 以及加州大学圣地亚哥分校全球政策与战略学院下属的 21st Century China Center（21世纪中国研究中心） 共同举办。

我们欢迎参赛者围绕以下任一题目提交 原创、论证充分、基于证据 的文章。来稿语言可为 英文或中文。

比赛题目（两题选一）

题目一：战略竞争中的合作

美中如何在全球关键议题上找到共同点？

随着美中关系进入战略竞争的新阶段，科技、气候、公共卫生及全球安全等领域的合作依然对国际稳定至关重要。本题旨在探讨两国如何在竞争中寻求合作，识别具体的联合或协调行动机会，并分析其对全球体系与全球治理的深远影响。

引导问题：

• 在战略竞争背景下，美中在哪些领域的合作最能有效促进全球公共利益？
• 在当前国际格局下，美中在哪些议题上存在最现实的合作空间？哪些具体机制可以支持此类合作？
• 从以往合作经验（如科学外交、气候行动、公共卫生、人工智能治理）中，未来美中合作可以汲取哪些教训？

题目二：超越贸易战

美中竞争如何重塑亚太地区格局？

自2018年以来，美中在贸易、科技与安全领域的竞争深刻影响了亚太地区的经济与政治结构。本题旨在探讨在地缘政治变化与战略不确定性上升的背景下，区域国家如何进行战略平衡、政策调整与角色重塑。

引导问题：

• 美中贸易与产业政策竞争如何重塑亚太地区的联盟结构及关键供应链？
• 越南、日本或印尼等国家如何在美中竞争中调整自身战略定位？
• RCEP、APEC 等区域机制是否有助于构建更具韧性和可持续的区域经济网络？

参赛要求

• 参赛资格： 本科生、研究生及应届毕业生（2025–26 学年在读，或在此期间毕业的学生）。
• 原创性： 参赛作品须为作者原创。
• 语言： 中文或英文均可。
• 体裁与长度： 评论 / 专栏风格；可适当列出参考来源。
• 英文不超过 2500 词
• 中文不超过 3000 字/词
• 合作投稿： 允许多人合作投稿，奖金由作者自行分配。
• 评审方式： 由 China Focus 顾问及相关领域专家组成评审团进行评选。

奖项设置

• 一等奖两名（各 $1,000）
  • 1990 Institute Prize
  • Jimmy Carter Prize
• 二等奖四名（各 $500）

获奖作品将有机会在 China Focus 及合作机构平台发表，并可能受邀参与后续学术或公共交流活动。

截稿时间

2026 年 4 月 10 日 23:59（太平洋时间）

投稿方式（邮件提交）

1. 将稿件发送至 [email protected]
   邮件标题格式：CF Contest2026-LastName
2. 使用 学校官方邮箱 投稿。
3. 以 PDF 格式 附件提交。
4. 请附 封面页信息：

• 文章标题
• 作者姓名（可多位）
• 个人照片
• 学校/机构
• 学位（已获得或正在攻读）
• 国籍
• 3–4 句个人简介
• 一个长期可用的永久个人电子邮箱
• 你从何处得知本次作文大赛

如有疑问，请联系：[email protected]