CFR Education, the educational arm of the Council on Foreign Relations, aims to empower young people with the essential knowledge, skills, and perspective to understand and engage with today's most pressing global issues. This curated list of resources assembled by CFR Education helps students break down the current status of the U.S.-China relationship—and understand why it matters.
Background: the People's Republic of China
Review China's recent history to provide critical context for current headlines.
- How Does History Inform the Chinese Communist Party's Domestic and Foreign Policy Goals?
- Modern History and U.S. Foreign Policy: Asia
- How Did the United States Approach the Tiananmen Square Crackdown?
- Primary Sources From Post-Cold War Engagement with China
What Should You Know About the Trade War?
Explore these resources to gain a deeper understanding of key economic concepts and valuable insights into U.S.-China trade.
- What Happened When China Joined the WTO?
- What Gets in the Way of Free Trade?
- What Are Tariffs?
- The Contentious U.S.-China Trade Relationship?
- The U.S.-China Trade War, With Zoe Liu
China's Relationship with Other Countries
From tensions with Taiwan to investment in Zimbabwe, China is increasingly active on the world stage.
- Will China Invade Taiwan?
- Asia: The Essentials
- What is Economic Statecraft?
- What is the BRICS Group and Why Is It Expanding?
What Is The Role of Technology?
Learn how the development of new technologies is ushering in a new dimension of competition between Washington and Beijing.
- How Does AI Influence Government?
- How Does AI Influence Conflict?
- Should the Internet Respect National Borders?
- Is China's Huawei a Threat to U.S. National Security?
- DeepSeek Upends the Competition on Artificial Intelligence
Simulations for Teaching China
Have your students step into the roles of policymakers on the National Security Council or UN Security Council to make decisions on complex issues involving China.
- Dispute in the East China Sea in 2016
- Cyber Clash with China
- A Threat to Taiwan
- Should the United States Ban TikTok to Preserve National Security?
- Strategic Ambiguity Toward Taiwan
High School Teaching Resources
Explore our lesson plans to easily integrate U.S.-China relations into your teaching.
- Lesson Plan: Asia
- Contemporary History Post-1945
- Trade: Trade Wars and China
- Tools of Foreign Policy: Introduction
- Cyberspace and Cybersecurity: Effects
Higher Education Teaching Resources
Have students assess their understanding and explore diverse perspectives on contemporary issues in China.
CFR Education, the educational arm of the Council on Foreign Relations, helps middle, high school, and higher education students understand and engage with today’s most pressing global issues. With over 800 free, nonpartisan, multimedia teaching and learning resources, CFR Education’s supplemental materials help students gain the knowledge, skills, and perspective needed to navigate today’s interconnected world. CFR Education also provides professional development and programming opportunities to support educators as they take on this crucial work.