US-China Business Council Programs

2005 Meetings and Events

JANUARY

Beijing: Breakfast Meeting
The Future of US-China Trade Relations
Featured US Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans. (Jan. 12)

Beijing: Luncheon Meeting
Current US-China Developments
Featured USCBC President John Frisbie. Frisbie visited Beijing to meet with members and to discuss current US-China developments. (Jan. 14)

Shanghai: Luncheon Meeting
Current US-China Developments
Featured USCBC President John Frisbie. Frisbie visited Shanghai to meet with members and to discuss current US-China developments. (Jan. 18)

Hong Kong: Luncheon Meeting
Current US-China Developments
Featured USCBC President John Frisbie. Frisbie visited Hong Kong to meet with members and to discuss current US-China developments. (Jan. 19)

Hong Kong: Meeting
Trade Unions in FIEs
Featured Tibor Baranski from Jun He Law Firm's Beijing office. Baranski discussed the establishment of trade unions in foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs). (Jan. 19)

Chicago: Meeting
China Market Trends and Opportunities for Business
USCBC President John Frisbie; USCBC Director of China Operations Patrick Powers; and USCBC Director of Business Advisory Services Mark Mechem addressed the business climate in China for 2005, challenges and opportunities for US companies, and prospects for bilateral trade relations. (Jan. 31)

FEBRUARY

Dallas: Meeting
China Market Trends and Opportunities for Business
USCBC President John Frisbie; USCBC Director of China Operations Patrick Powers; and USCBC Director of Business Advisory Services Mark Mechem addressed the business climate in China for 2005, challenges and opportunities for US companies, and prospects for bilateral trade relations. (Feb. 1)

2-3 Washington: Forecast 2005
Washington Reception
Reception for Forecast 2005 guests, speakers, members of Congress, and Congressional staffers. (Feb. 2)

Forecast Conference
The conference began the next morning with a discussion on Chinese politics and policy trends led by Kenneth Lieberthal, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and professor of business and political science at the University of Michigan. Nicholas Lardy, senior fellow at Institute for International Economics, then gave a forecast for China's economy in 2005. Charles Freeman, assistant US trade representative for the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Mongolia, reported on the progress of negotiations on key bilateral trade issues. The luncheon program featured written text from Senator Max Baucus, Ranking Member, US Senate Finance Committee, and discussion with his senior aides on US-China trade relations in 2005. The afternoon speaker, Patrick J. Powers, director of the Council's China operations, focused on the top operational concerns of US businesses in China. After the last panel, member company representatives met with USCBC staff for benchmarking sessions on distribution and trading rights (led by Linda Cheever, president of Danaher's China Management Board) and sourcing (led by Roy Sheldon, vice president and director of emerging markets for ITT Industries, Inc.) (Feb. 3)

Washington: Issues Luncheon
US Trade Policy and China: New Administration Team, New Congress
Featured Everett Eissenstat, chief international trade counsel (majority) of the Senate Committee on Finance and Edward Gresser, director of the Trade and Global Markets Project, Progressive Policy Institute. (Feb. 17)

MARCH

Washington, DC: Farewell Reception & Luncheon for Ambassador Yang Jiechi
Outgoing PRC Ambassador to the United States. (Mar. 3)

Washington: Issues Luncheon
2005 US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade Meetings
Featured Henry Levine, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia Pacific Policy. (Mar. 17)

APRIL

Washington: Issues Luncheon
Current Bilateral Issues and Relations
Featured Joseph Donovan, Director, and Key Staff Members, Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs, Department of State. (Apr. 21)

Shanghai: Nanjing Mayor's Forum
Nanjing's current foreign-investment environment
Co-hosted with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Nanjing Branch, this event featured Nanjing Mayor Jiang Hongkun. (Apr. 25)

Beijing: China Operations 2005 Conference
China's economy and financial sector reform, distribution rights, merger-and-acquisition trends, and human resources.
Featured speakers included Deng Zhan, Deputy Director General of Foreign Investment Administration at the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and serving as the luncheon speaker, Qiu Shuiping, Director, Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau. (Apr. 26)

Washington: USCBC-USTR Quarterly Roundtable
Briefing with Assistant US Trade Representative (USTR) Charles Freeman
Charles Freeman, assistant US Trade Representative (USTR) for the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Mongolia briefed Council members on his recent trip to China and provided an update on the USTR out-of-cycle review of China's intellectual property rights enforcement. (Apr. 27)

MAY

Washington: Welcome Reception for PRC Ambassador H.E. Zhou Wenzhong
Incoming Ambassador to the US (May 10)

Washington: Issues Luncheon
Commentary on China Trade: Issues, Politics...and the Business Approach.
Featured Former Undersecretary Grant Aldonas

Washington: IPR Seminar and Luncheon with Senior PRC Officials
Progress Report on China's IPR Efforts: A Business Community Dialogue on Copyright, Patent, Trademark and Enforcement,and Customs
The USCBC and the US Chamber of Commerce co-hosted an IPR seminar and luncheon featuring PRC Vice Minister of Commerce Ma Xiuhong. (May 25)

JUNE

Beijing: USCBC and AmCham-China Breakfast
Featured US Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez. (Jun. 2)

Washington: Gala 2005
With roughly 400 guests in attendance, including corporate executives, academics, and US and PRC public officials, the USCBC Gala honored Xu Kuangdi, vice chair of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and former mayor of Shanghai. The Honorable Barbara H. Franklin, President & CEO of Barbara Franklin Enterprises and former US Secretary of Commerce, welcomed guests on behalf of the USCBC and presented Xu with a distinguished service award. After Xu's brief remarks, US Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez delivered the dinner address. (Jun. 8)

Washington: 32nd Annual Membership Meeting
The USCBC's 32nd Annual Membership Meeting began on June 9 with a morning discussion on HR Trends and Building Employee Commitment in China led by Michael Broomhead, international consultant at Watson Wyatt Worldwide. James Blakeney, country manager-China with Control Risks Group, then gave an update from the field on IPR Challenges and Best Practices. Ed Gresser, director, Trade and Global Markets Project at The Progressive Policy Institute, presented on US-China Trade in Perspective: Asia's Emerging Union and Implications for the United States. J. Stapleton Roy followed with Perspectives on the Bilateral Relationship. Senator Chuck Hagel delivered the luncheon keynote address. (Jun. 9)

Beijing: Breakfast Roundtable Discussion
Breakfast roundtable with US Securities and Exchange Commissioner Roel C. Campos and SEC Director of International Affairs Ethiopis Tafara. (Jun. 24)

Washington: Avoiding Landmines in China: An interactive discussion on risk management
Featured Peter Humphrey, founder of ChinaWhys, a risk management advisory practice. (Jun. 29)

Shanghai: Luncheon with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Administration
Zhu Jun, general manager of the Marketing and Service Center of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone along with a senior manager from the Economic & Trade Department. (Jun. 30)

Washington: Reception Honoring NDRC Vice Chair Zhang Guobao and senior NDRC officials
Minister and NDRC Vice Chair Zhang Guobao lead a delegation to the United States for the inaugural meeting of the US-China Energy Policy Dialogue. (Jun. 30)

JULY

Washington: Issues Luncheon
Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade Debriefing
Featured Assistant US Trade Representative Charles Freeman. (July 21)

Washington: Luncheon for PRC State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan
This event was co-hosted by the US-China Business Council and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. The State Councilor was accompanied by a delegation and PRC embassy staff of about 24 and gave a speech following the luncheon to approximately 130 guests. For the State Councilor's speech in English, see http://www.uschina.org/members/events/2005/07/tangjiaxuan_speech.html. (July 27)

AUGUST

Shanghai: Luncheon on Best Practices: Selling to China
Featured Paul French from AccessAsia and Pablo Van from Caterpillar China. (Aug. 26)

SEPTEMBER

Seattle: Seminar on Investment Trends and China Trade Politics
Roundtable seminar featured USCBC's Chief Representative in Shanghai, Iain McDaniels, and Washington, DC-based Vice President Erin Ennis. (Sept. 7)

Minneapolis: Seminar on Investment Trends and China Trade Politics
Roundtable seminar featured USCBC's Chief Representative in Shanghai, Iain McDaniels, and Washington, DC-based Vice President Erin Ennis. (Sept. 9)

Washington: Issues Luncheon
China's Currency: What's Next?
Featured the Department of the Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs Tim Adams.
For text of Tim Adam's remarks see: http://www.uschina.org/members/documents/2005/09/adams_remarks.html (Sept. 15)

Shenyang: China International Economic Forum
Cosponsored by USCBC and hosted by the Liaoning Provincial Government and City of Shenyang which featured business executives and political officials from China, Europe and North America. (Sept. 14-16)

Washington: Luncheon on Establishing Shared Service Centers in China
Featured Chen Rongxiang, Managing Director of Bearing Point (Sept. 23)

Washington: Roundtable Discussion
Key China Trade Issues
Featured Ira Belkin senior trade compliance officer with the US Department of Commerce. (Sept. 30)

OCTOBER

Beijing: Luncheon
Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China
Joint USCBC-AmCham-China luncheon featured James McGregor, Senior China Advisor for Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. (Oct. 11)

Washington: Issues Luncheon
New Initiatives to Fight Intellectual Property Theft
Coordinator of International Intellectual Property Enforcement Chris Israel briefed members on the Bush administration's newest initiative to increase IPR enforcement in China and around the world. (Oct. 19)

Shanghai: China Operations Conference
USCBC held its annual fall China Operations Conference with more than 70 senior executives from Council member companies in attendance. USCBC Chair Michael Eskew gave the keynote address on how UPS views its growth opportunities in China. An official from the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Commission discussed foreign investment trends in Shanghai and future business opportunities for foreign firms, followed by Andy Rothman of CLSA Ltd., who analyzed the prospects for China's economy in 2006. USCBC President John Frisbie presented current trends in US-China trade relations and in Washington, a key concern for executives running operations in China. James McGregor, author of the new bestseller One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, provided the luncheon address.

The conference's afternoon session featured industry experts who led detailed best-practice sessions on key areas including distribution rights, treasury and cash management, customs, transfer pricing, and talent retention and compensation. (Oct. 21)

NOVEMBER

Beijing: Luncheon
Joint USCBC-AmCham-China luncheon featured California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Nov. 15)

Washington, DC: Issues Luncheon
China Travelers: Bilateral Relations Post-Rumsfeld, Pre-Bush (And What to Expect)
Featured Robert Sutter of Georgetown University and Larry Wortzel of the Heritage Foundation. (Nov. 17)

Washington, DC: Roundtable Discussion
China Travelers: Bilateral Relations Post-Rumsfeld, Pre-Bush (And What to Expect)
Featured Tim Stratford, the newly installed Assistant US Trade Representative for China. (Nov. 30)

DECEMBER

Beijing: Briefing
Featured US Embassy IPR Attaché Mark Cohen and Trade Facilitation Office Director Ira Belkin. (Dec. 1)

Shanghai: Luncheon
How to Increase Employee Benefits without Exceeding the Company Benefits Budget
Featured Paul Vermeulen from AIU Insurance Company. (Dec. 2)

Washington, DC: Issues Luncheon
After the Visit: The Bush Administration's View of China
Featured Dennis Wilder, director for China and Taiwan, National Security Council (NSC), and Eric Altbach, director for Asian Economic Affairs, NSC. (Dec. 2)

Last Updated: 19-Dec-05