“If you don’t see inequality, you can’t address it.”
Inequality continues to be a major challenge in both the United States and China, driven by complex and interconnected factors. Over time, the two countries have adopted some similar strategies such as early childhood education and women’s empowerment. Despite cultural differences, the shared goal of reducing poverty and inequality creates important opportunities for future U.S.-China collaboration.
On February 26, 2026, Professor Qin Gao, Founding Director of the Columbia China Center for Social Policy, faculty member at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Maurice V. Russell Professor of Social Policy and Social Work Practice at the Columbia School of Social Work, and Acting Director of the Asian American Initiative (AAI), joined an interview with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) to discuss common themes and challenges the United States and China face in addressing inequality, as well as her personal journey into the field of social policy.
In the interview, Professor Gao highlights a central challenge in addressing inequality in both the United States and China: “Much of inequality remains hidden and difficult to capture through existing data. If you don’t see inequality, you can’t address it.”
Drawing on her expertise in social policy, Professor Gao highlights key policy tools to reduce inequality, including early childhood education, taxation, and gender-focused social policies. She notes that both the United States and China increasingly recognize early childhood investment as one of the most effective strategies for addressing inequality in both the short and long term. She also points to emerging concerns, such as climate-related inequality, that require greater attention moving forward.
In addition to her professional insights, Professor Gao reflected on her personal journey into the field of social policy. Inspired by her grandparents’ commitment to helping others and their interests in local and international affairs, she developed an early interest in social justice. She believes that “individuals have the power to impact the world around them” and that “policies are made by people.”
Professor Gao was among the first cohorts to study social work in college in China. After attending a guest lecture in her Junior year by Dr. Enid Opal Cox, a doctoral alumna from the Columbia School of Social Work, she became interested in social policy and later pursued graduate studies at Columbia School of Social Work as the first doctoral student from Mainland China at the school’s over 100 years of history.
Ultimately, Professor Gao underscored the central role of social policy research in advancing human well-being, noting that “social policy research is very powerful because we get to study anything that is directly related to human well-being, including housing, education, healthcare, pensions, and mental health support, which ultimately affects everyone.”
Watch Qin Gao’s NCUSCR interview below: