China Focus is thrilled to announce the 2025 China Focus Essay Contest. This year’s contest is organized by China Focus and is jointly sponsored by the Fudan-UC Center on Contemporary China, the 1990 Institute, the Carter Center, and the 21st Century China Center. 

We will accept both Chinese and English submissions. The contest offers two topics and awards two top prizes of $1,000 and four runner-up prizes of $ 500 each.

Award winners will grant China Focus and co-sponsors the right to publish their essays on their respective platforms or in their publications. Winners may also be contacted with additional award opportunities to transform their essays into teaching materials and also to discuss their work with a panel during the summer. More information can be found in the announcement China Focus is thrilled to announce the 2025 China Focus Essay Contest! on the China Focus official website:

https://chinafocus.ucsd.edu/

Topic 1: 

The dynamics of US-China relations are set to undergo significant changes under the new Trump administration. As the US redefines its foreign policy, China is expected to continue to assert its power on the global stage, especially in the Global South. Write an essay that, backed by well-chosen evidence and detailed analysis, explains how the new US administration may respond to China’s growing influence in country or region X (select one country or region you want to investigate) and why?

Topic 2:

“Made in China 2025” was an ambitious initiative launched by China to transform its manufacturing sector into a global leader in advanced technology and innovation. Its plan was to focus on improving industries such as robotics, aerospace, information technology, and green technologies, aiming to reduce dependence on foreign technology and foster homegrown technological advancements. Now is the year 2025. Has China achieved what it set out to do in its plan “Made in China 2025”? Pick one or two areas mentioned in the plan and evaluate where China has succeeded, and where China has fallen short of its original plan. What are the implications for China’s technological future? Competitive essays will utilize well-chosen evidence and detailed analysis.

The contest is open to undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates. Each entry must be the original work of students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year, as well as those who graduated in or after May 2024 but have not yet reached one-year post-graduation. We especially welcome submissions by students from U.S. and Chinese universities. Collaborative projects are encouraged, but prize money must be split among collaborators. 

Entries can be in either English or Chinese. Essays should be written in op-ed style, with references provided as appropriate but no need for detailed footnotes, with a length of up to 2,500 words in English and 3,000 in Chinese.

Each entry will be reviewed by a panel of judges drawn from the China Focus board of advisers, experts in U.S.-China relations, and others with relevant expertise.