On 5 August 2015, a 19-member delegation of the Capstone General and Flag Officer Course of the U.S. National Defense University visited the Beijing Office of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS). NISCSS President Wu Shicun held a video conference with the delegation and exchanged ideas on the way forward of South China Sea issues from China’s perspective, including challenges to handling the South China Sea issue, China’s South China Sea policy, South China Sea factor in China-U.S. relations, land reclamation on part of the Nansha Islands and the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

The Capstone General and Flag Officer Course was launched and organized in 1982 by the U.S. National Defense University. As mandated by the Goldwater-Nichols DoD Reorganization Act of 1986, all newly selected general and flag officers should attend this course. This course examines major issues affecting national security decision making, military strategy, joint command, etc. Overseas field studies are an important part of the course.