A diverse and engaged group of UN staff, member states, and civil society members gathered at Quaker House in New York on 7 November to hear a group of leading Chinese academics share their work on Peacebuilding in the African Great Lakes Region. It was a lively conversation, with many personal anecdotes and the sharing of experiences from many different actors. Discussion included the inter-linkages between peacebuilding and peacekeeping in countries such as Burundi and DRC, and what role China might play to support efforts that build national ownership and encourage local solutions to conflict.