During the lecture, entitled "China in Engagement with the United States: From the Maoist Insurgency to Korea, Vietnam, and Challenges Today," Topping will draw on his 30-plus years of experience as a New York Times reporter abroad and reflect on the United States' relationship with China throughout history and how the root experiences of Chinese leaders affect their behavior, policies, and intentions today.
Topping joined the Associated Press as a foreign correspondent in 1948. He went on to work at The New York Times as a foreign editor, managing editor, and director of editorial development. Over the course of his career he covered pivotal historical events worldwide, including the Chinese Revolution and the French Indochina War.
He is the author of numerous books and also taught and lectured as the SanPaolo Professor of International Journalism at Columbia University, as well as served as an Administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, until 2002. He is currently an emeritus professor.