2006 Meetings and Events

JANUARY

Beijing: Luncheon
Reflections on Trade, China, and US Competitiveness:
A Discussion with Senator Max Baucus
Co-hosted with American Chamber of Commerce-China, this event featured Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Finance. (Jan. 10)

Washington, DC: Briefing
Briefing with John Veroneau on Section 421
Featured US Trade Representative General Counsel John Veroneau. (Jan.10)

Beijing: Luncheon
Bringing Balance Back to US-China Relations:
A Discussion with Congressmen Mark Kirk and Rick Larsen
Co-hosted with American Chamber of Commerce-China, this event featured Congressmen Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Rick Larsen (D-WA), the co-chairs of the congressional US-China Study Group. (Jan. 11)

Washington, DC: Briefing
Featured Undersecretary for International Trade Franklin Lavin. (Jan.20)

Forecast 2006 Reception and Conference
USCBC launched its annual Forecast conference with an evening reception on January 24 with guests from Congress, the executive branch, the PRC embassy, and roughly 100 USCBC member-company representatives. The reception featured brief remarks by PRC Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong, US Representative Brian Baird (D-WA)--a member of the congressional US-China Working Group--and Deputy Secretary of Commerce David Sampson. Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN), co-founder of the new Senate China Working Group, was also present. (Jan. 24)

The conference kicked off the next morning with a talk on prospects for US-China relations by David Lampton, dean of the faculty and director of China Studies, the Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School for Advanced International Studies. Rohit Kumar, counsel and policy advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), and Angela Ellard, majority staff director and counsel, House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, continued the program with a discussion of Congress and China trade politics.

Erik Britton, director of Economics, Oxford Economics USA, then discussed The China Effect: Assessing the Impact on the US Economy of Trade and Investment with China, a new report sponsored by the China Business Forum. Next, Mustafa Mohatarem, chief economist, General Motors Corp., spoke on China's economy in 2006 and what it means for companies. Kenneth DeWoskin, partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, delved into key operational issues for companies in China, including intellectual property rights. Delivering the luncheon keynote address, Ambassador Karan K. Bhatia, deputy US Trade Representative (USTR), described the administration's China trade agenda for 2006. (Jan. 25)

FEBRUARY

Washington, DC: Issues Luncheon
New Senate Finance Committee Trade Counsel on China Trade Legislation
Featured Stephen Schaefer, International Trade Counsel, Senate Finance Committee. (Feb. 16)

Washington, DC: Briefing
Current Visa Policy Briefing with US State Department
Featured State Department officials Wanda Nesbitt, principal deputy assistant secretary for Consular Affairs, and Mike Glover, deputy special representative for Business Affairs in the Economic Bureau. (Feb. 21)

Beijing: Welcome Reception
USCBC President John Frisbie introduced Robert W. Poole, vice president for China operations to USCBC member companies and officials from the US and PRC governments. (Feb. 23)

New York: Roundtable Discussion
Featured Tim Stratford, assistant US Trade Representative for China and Erin Ennis, USCBC vice president. (Feb. 23)

Shanghai: Welcome Reception
USCBC President John Frisbie introduced Robert W. Poole, vice president for China operations to USCBC member companies and officials from the US and PRC governments. (Feb. 27)

MARCH

Beijing: Luncheon the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)
Featured James Mendenhall , general counsel USTR and Tim Stratford , assistant USTR for China (Mar. 3)

Washington: Luncheon with Senior PRC Officials
USCBC and the US Chamber of Commerce co-hosted a luncheon featuring PRC Vice Minister of Commerce (MOFCOM) Ma Xiuhong and a delegation of MOFCOM officials. (Mar. 10)

Washington, DC: Roundtable Discussion on Business Diplomacy in China
Featured Dr. Christian Murck, CEO of APCO Asia. (Mar. 15)

Washington, DC: Issues Luncheon
Preparations for JCCT
Featured Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia Hank Levine. (Mar. 16)

Beijing: Luncheon with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
Featured Deputy Director of NDRC's Department of Development Planning General Tian Jinchen and NDRC International Cooperation Center Director Zhang Xiaochong for a discussion on industrial and regional development in China's 11th Five-Year Plan. (Mar. 24)

Beijing: Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez to Address US Business Community
Co-hosted with AmCham-Beijing, this breakfast featured US Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez. (Mar. 29)

Shanghai: Best Practices: Implementing Distribution Rights in China Operations
Featured David Du of Praxair, Inc. and Stephens Lee of PricewaterhouseCoopers. (Mar. 31)

APRIL

Washington, DC: USCBC Discussion on China's Draft Labor Contract Law
Discussion led by Andreas Lauffs, principal with Baker & McKenzie in Hong Kong. (Apr. 6)

Washington, DC: JCCT Debriefing
The USCBC and US Chamber of Commerce co-hosted this briefing, which featured Assistant US Trade Representative Tim Stratford and Department of Commerce Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia Hank Levine. (Apr. 12)

Beijing: JCCT Debriefing
The USCBC and US Chamber of Commerce co-hosted this briefing which featured US Embassy Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs Craig Allen, Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs Rob Luke, and Trade Facilitation Office Director Ira Belkin. (Apr. 20)

Washington, DC: Dinner in Honor of PRC President Hu Jintao
The US-China Business Council (USCBC), National Committee on US-China Relations (NCUSCR), US Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations jointly hosted a reception and dinner in honor of PRC President Hu Jintao and the PRC ministerial delegation in Washington, DC, on April 20. Michael L. Eskew, USCBC chair and UPS chairman and CEO, welcomed Hu and led the toast. Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, introduced US Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, who greeted Hu on behalf of the US government. Henry A. Kissinger, chair of the America-China Forum and chair of Kissinger Associates, Inc., introduced the PRC president. After Hu delivered an address on bilateral relations, Carla A. Hills, chair and CEO of Hills & Co. and chair of the NCUSCR, moderated a question-and-answer session. More than 900 members of the business, academic, and civic communities attended the dinner. (Apr. 20)

Beijing: China Operations Conference
USCBC's Beijing China Operations 2006 conference, held on April 26, began with a morning discussion on China's economy led by Huang Yiping, managing director and head of Asia-Pacific Economic and Market Analysis, Citigroup Inc. Ted Kassinger, partner, O'Melveny & Myers LLP (OMM), and former deputy secretary of Commerce, and Patrick Norton, partner, OMM, and former managing partner of OMM's Beijing office, spoke on US-China trade policy developments. Steve Maloy, general counsel, General Electric Asia-Pacific, discussed China's new Company Law. Lu Yun, deputy director general of International Taxation, State Administration of Taxation, spoke on the outlook for tax reform in China. Wang Xin, director of Policy Research, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, delivered the luncheon address on China's financial system.

In the afternoon, Anthea Wong, partner, China Tax and Business Advisory Service, PricewaterhouseCoopers, discussed the implementation of distribution rights in China. A panel on the draft PRC Antimonopoly Law, draft Labor Contract Law, and intellectual property rights in China featured Lester Ross, partner, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP; Hugh Scogin, partner, Coudert Brothers LLP; and Joe Simone, partner, Baker & McKenzie LLP. Patrick Horgan, managing director, APCO China, moderated the panel. A panel on managing government relations in China featured Chris Watkins, managing director, MRI Worldwide China Group; Steve Okun, vice president for Public Affairs, UPS; and She Duanzhi, director, Government Relations, United Technologies Corp. Bill Beddow, director, Government Relations and Corporate Affairs, Caterpillar Inc., moderated the second panel. (Apr. 26)

May

Washington, DC: Issues Luncheon
The Hu Visit and Prospects for US-China Relations
Featured Dennis Wilder, acting senior director for East Asian Affairs, National Security Council. (May 18)

Beijing: Export Control Luncheon
Featured Undersecretary of Commerce for Industry and Security David H. McCormick. (May 22)

Chicago: Roundtable Discussion
Business Trends in China and US-China Trade Politics in Washington, DC
Featured USCBC Beijing-based Vice President Bob Poole and Washington, DC-based Vice President Erin Ennis. (May 31)

June

Washington, DC: 33rd Annual Membership Meeting
Featured presentations on China's economy, currency policy, and financial sector reforms; congressional trade politics and China; top operating issues in China; and corporate case studies of Lenovo Group and UPS. Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Brent Scowcroft delivered the luncheon keynote address. (June 5)

Washington, DC: Welcome Reception for the Incoming USCBC Chair
Featured new USCBC Chair W. James (Jim) McNerney Jr., chairman, president, and CEO of the Boeing Co. Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Max Baucus (D-MT), Representative Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), US Deputy Secretary of Commerce David Sampson, PRC Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Zheng Zeguang, other US and PRC government officials, and other USCBC board members, members, and guests attended the event. (June 5)

New York: Roundtable Discussion
China's Financial Services Sector and US-China Trade Politics
Featured USCBC President John Frisbie and Beijing-based Vice President Bob Poole. (June 8)

Washington, DC: Roundtable Discussion
Introduction to the Ministry of Commerce's (MOFCOM) New Department of Trade in Services
Featured Hu Jingyan, director general of MOFCOM's Department for Trade in Services. (June 12)

Washington, DC: Roundtable Discussion
China's RoHS
Department of Commerce (DOC) specialists Dorothea Blouin, senior industry analyst, International Trade Administration (ITA); Jon Boyens, standards coordinator for Manufacturing Industries, ITA; and Jenny May, international trade specialist for the Office of the Chinese Economic Area, ITA, discussed the PRC Administrative Measures for the Prevention of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products (China's RoHS). (June 13)

Washington, DC: Roundtable Discussion
Update on Mergers and Acquisitions
Featured Ken Davies, senior economist in the Investment Division at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (June 14)

Washington, DC: Issues Luncheon
Status of Security Issues in the US-China Relationship and Their Commercial Impact
Featured James Mulvenon, deputy director, Advanced Analysis, at Defense Group, Inc.'s Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis. (June 15)

Shanghai: Roundtable Discussion
Multinational Corporation Account Payable Issues
Featured experts from Intel Corp.'s Account Payable Global Shared Service Center. (June 20)

Beijing: Luncheon
The Chicago Climate Exchange
Featured Dr. Richard Sandor, chair of the Chicago Climate Exchange. Also in attendance were officials from the State Environmental Protection Administration and National Development and Reform Commission. (June 27)

July

Shanghai: Best Practices Luncheon
Sourcing and Procurement in China
Matthew Duffy, general manager, Global Sourcing (China), the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company provided an overview of Goodyear's China procurement strategy, including overall objectives and implementation challenges, as well as key human resources concerns for sourcing operations such as recruitment, skill development, and retention strategies. (July 6)

Beijing: Luncheon
Featured former Washington Governor Gary Locke (currently a partner with the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine). (July 11)

Beijing: Issues Breakfast
Antidumping and Subsidies
This USCBC and the American Chamber of Commerce Beijing event featured US Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary for Import Administration David Spooner and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations in Import Administration Joe Spetrini. (July 18)

Washington, DC: Issues Luncheon
This event was a farewell for departing US Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary Hank Levine. (July 20)

Beijing: Breakfast
This USCBC and the American Chamber of Commerce Beijing event featured US Department of Commerce Undersecretary for International Trade Frank Lavin. (July 31)

August

Beijing: Breakfast
Featured Kevan Watts, chair of Merrill Lynch International. (Aug. 2)

Washington, DC: Roundtable Discussion
US Department of Commerce (DOC) Undersecretary for International Trade Frank Lavin briefed member companies on the outcomes of his recent trip to China. (Aug. 8)

Shanghai: Luncheon
China's Macroeconomic Outlook
Featured CLSA China Macro Strategist Andy Rothman and Merrill Lynch Senior Director, Head of China Research, and China Strategist Joan Zheng. (Aug. 24)

Beijing: Luncheon
Featured US Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab. (Aug. 29)

September

Shanghai: Issues Luncheon
Kevin Wale, president and general manager of the General Motors China Group, discussed the successful executive leadership practices in joint venture companies. (Sept. 21)

Washington, DC: Issues Luncheon
Tim Stratford and Claire Reade from the Office of the US Trade Representative reported on their recent meetings in China and discussed the role of the chief counsel. (Sept. 21)

October

Washington, DC: Issues Luncheon
Undersecretary of Treasury for International Affairs Timothy D. Adams briefed member companies on the formation of and planning for the US-China Strategic Economic Dialogue. (Oct. 19)

Washington, DC: Roundtable Luncheon
Government Affairs Hiring in China
Featured Yancy Molnar, senior manager for International Government Affairs at DaimlerChrysler Corporation, and Becca Gould, vice president for Government Relations at Dell, Inc. (Oct. 24)

Shanghai: China Operations Conference

The US-China Business Council (USCBC) held its Shanghai China Operations 2006 conference. The conference began with a discussion on China's economy, led by Hong Liang, executive director, Asia Economic Research, Goldman Sachs, Inc. Steve Maloy, general counsel, Asia-Pacific, General Electric Co., spoke on public policy and China's legislative calendar, while Jill Malila, director of Client Management, Mercer Human Resources Consulting, discussed employee retention strategies. Robert Poole, vice president, China Operations, USCBC, moderated a panel discussion on effective corporate social responsibility in China in which Pierre Cohade, president, Asia Pacific, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and Jim McIlvenny, president, Asia Pacific and Greater China, the Dow Chemical Co., spoke. Robert A. Kapp, president, Robert A. Kapp Associates, delivered the luncheon address on US-China trade relations--the view from the United States.

In the afternoon, Toshiyuki Arai, partner, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker LLP, moderated a panel discussion on labor issues in China, in which Jeff Albright, president-Asia, Briggs & Stratton Corp., and Jun Ge, director, Legal Affairs, Intel China, presented. Kenneth Jarrett, consul general, US Consulate General, Shanghai, delivered the afternoon keynote on bilateral relations and the new Strategic Economic Dialogue. Ba Shusong, deputy director general, Financial Research Institute, Development Research Center of the PRC State Council, followed with a discussion on financial sector reform in China. A panel on upgrading the government relations function of China operations featured Peng Ningke, director, Government Relations, Dow Chemical (China) Investment Co. Ltd.; and Liu Ran, manager, Public Affairs, UPS (China). Bill Beddow, director, Government Relations and Corporate Affairs, Caterpillar (China) Investment Co., Ltd., moderated the panel. (Oct. 26)

November

Washington, DC: Roundtable
Update on China's Antimonopoly Law
Featured MJ Moltenbrey, partner, and Michael Han, associate, of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. (Nov. 8)

New York: Briefing
This event was co-hosted with United States Council for International Business and featured Assistant US Trade Representative for China Timothy P. Stratford. (Nov. 8)

Beijing: Luncheon
Featured governor of Qinghai, Mme. Song Xiuyan and co-hosted with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. (Nov. 10)

Washington, DC: Issues Luncheon
The Midterm Elections and China Trade
Featured Peter Scher, partner, Jim Jochum, partner, and Emily Biezer, Chair of International Public Policy in the Government and Global Trade Practices at Mayer, Brown, Roe and Maw. (Nov. 16)

Washington, DC: Business & Economic Development Forum
Featured PRC Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Zheng Zeguang; cosponsored by the US-China Business Council (USCBC), International Association of Black Professionals in International Affairs, and Maryland-China Business Council.(Nov. 16)

Shanghai: Issues Luncheon
Stakeholders and Consumers Survey Research
Alan VanderMolen, Asia-Pacific president of Edelman, and Joseph Guerrisi, vice-president of marketing at UPS Asia-Pacific discussed the latest China-related survey research conducted by the two companies. (Nov. 28)

December

Beijing: Issues Luncheon
Featured USCBC President John Frisbie. (Dec. 1)

Washington, DC: Roundtable
This event was co-hosted with the US Chamber of Commerce and featured Vice Minister of Commerce Ma Xiuhong. (Dec. 8)

Shanghai: Issues Luncheon
Featured Guo Xin, worldwide partner and managing director, Greater China, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, and Lisa Zhang, director of human resources, Dow Chemical Greater China. (Dec. 13)

Washington, DC: Briefing
JCCT IPR Working Group Update
Audrey Winter, deputy assistant US Trade Representative for China, and Ellen Szymanski, international trade specialist at the US Department of Commerce discussed the outcomes of the JCCT Intellectual Property Rights Working Group meeting. (Dec. 15)