Rían Knighton
Rían Knighton
Institute for China-America Studies - Washington, DC
Rían Knighton is a Program and Communications Coordinator with expertise in social media management and engagement, organizational branding, and public speaking. Core areas of interest for her are China & Vietnams Land Use Rights, their respective stock markets, commercial and residential housing in state owned models, and improving comprehension of alternative governments. Her past research has focused on apps such as We-Chat, Whatsapp, and XiaoHongShu to encourage cross cultural exchange for U.S. and Chinese citizens. Previous to ICAS, she freelanced managed social media and presented research as a panelist at the National Communication Conference and Western States Communications Conference. She holds a Bachelors in Rhetoric and Media and minor in Economics from Lewis and Clark College, with additional classes taken in Calculus, Econometrics, and Differential Functions in pursuance of an eventual PhD in International Economics.
THE GLOBAL VOICES AT THE GHANA CENTRE FOR CHINA STUDIES
On August 28, 2025 Rían Knighton, Program and Communications Coordinator at the Institute for China-America Studies (ICAS) shared with the Ghana Centre for China Studies key insights on U.S.-China relations.
The need for healthy and productive business relationships amid a sluggish market in China and the U.S. are forcing both sides to the table. The two are quite interdependent, with the U.S. relying on Chinese supply and China relying on the U.S. for demand. Business ties essentially shape the relationship, and a healthy business relationship helps ensure healthy diplomatic relations.
I believe U.S.-China cooperation would be more productive if the U.S. participates in dialogues more frequently and respectfully with Chinese diplomats and government officials. A critique of the Biden Administration is that U.S.-China relations only came to the forefront when he was years into his presidency, primarily 2023-2024. The Trump Administrations have historically been better at reaching out to our supposed adversaries, however much of the interaction between Trump and Chinese officials has been due to harsh trade deals and tariffs. Nonetheless, both sides are coming to the table more frequently which is an ultimate good.
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interpretation of China’s domestic and foreign policies.
At the Ghana Centre for China Studies we eschew specific policy positions. All positions and
opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the author (s).