On the morning of 2 December 2016, NISCSS President Wu Shicun held a candid discussion with Colin Willett, deputy assistant secretary for strategy and multilateral affairs at the East Asia and Pacific Bureau of the US State Department. The two sides exchanged views on the latest developments of the situation in the South China Sea, the possible South China Sea policy of the new US administration, and the outlook of China-US relations. Also present at the discussion were officials of the US State Department in charge of China affairs, multilateral affairs and maritime affairs. Zhu Feng, director of the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies at Nanjing University, also attended the discussion.

On the afternoon of the same day, Wu held a discussion with Leah Bray, director for China Affairs at the US National Security Council, and Casey K. Mace, director for Maritime Southeast Asia and ASEAN Affairs at the US National Security Council. The two sides exchanged views on the South China Sea arbitration, freedom of navigation, China-US maritime cooperation, and China-ASEAN consultation on a code of conduct in the South China Sea.