This November 1996 Assembly, co-chaired by U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and former Deputy Secretary of State John Whitehead, was Phase II of a four-phase project. Phase I involved a June 1996 visit by the project leadership with officials from China and its six principal neighbors. Phase III and Phase IV were bilateral meetings in San Francisco and Shanghai in 1998 with American and Chinese participants.

The report from the November meeting concluded that a revitalized approach to U.S. relations with China includes challenging the common idea that China's policies across the board run counter to U.S. interests.  Participants also felt that the threat of sanctions is often counterproductive to advancing respect for human rights in China. Growth of democratic institutions and the economy were seen as greater agents of change in this area.