AJ Cortese
Senior Manager, Business Advisory Services
Washington, DC
AJ Cortese is a senior manager of business advisory services at the US-China Business Council, where he focuses on technology member companies.
Prior to USCBC, AJ led technology research at MacroPolo, the Paulson Institute’s think tank, concentrating on US-China competition in strategic and emerging technologies. His analysis focused on China’s strategic priorities for innovation in deep tech and developing self-reliance by examining industrial policy, evolving supply chains, and human capital. He was a fellow at the Penn Project on the Future of US-China Relations (2024).
Previously, AJ worked in Beijing as an analyst for 36Kr Global and ICR Inc., researching technology companies and investment trends in China. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Fordham University and is currently pursuing a master of business administration from the University of Chicago. He is proficient in Mandarin.
7 Posts
Member Exclusive
Implications of the AI+ Manufacturing Initiative
Beijing has issued unusually granular implementation guidelines for its AI+ manufacturing program. The plan, rolled out on January 9, defines deliverables, timelines, and an enforcement architecture that will mobilize provinces, state-owned enterprises, and industrial parks to implement AI solutions in China’s manufacturing sector.
Member Exclusive
One-Year Warning: Navigating China’s REE Export Control Suspension
The United States and China have pulled back from a full-blown export control crisis after a presidential summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last month. According to both sides’ readouts, they agreed to a one-year, reciprocal truce: the United States will suspend its “50% Rule,” which extended export restrictions to over 20,000 Chinese entities, and in exchange, China will suspend the rare earth element (REE) export control measures announced by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on October 9.
Member Exclusive
What To Know About Commerce’s New 50% Rule
Although BIS frames the measure as an administrative plug to a loophole in semiconductor export controls, in practice, the rule is a broad decoupling action. As a result of the rule, the number of firms facing Entity List restrictions will climb from around 1,200 to an estimated 11,000, sending a chill through the commercial relationship.
Member Exclusive
Bending to Circumstance: The Strategic Shift in the US AI Action Plan and What It Means for China
The US AI Action Plan is a strategic shift from the previous administration’s more restrictive AI Diffusion Rule to promoting the global export and adoption of American AI technology. The plan envisages a future in which the United States leads in developing and deploying AI globally, while restricting access for geopolitical competitors such as China.
Member Exclusive
Flash Survey: Rare Earth Exports Remain Challenging
Since China’s creation of a rare earth elements (REEs) export control system on April 4, foreign companies have encountered delays in sourcing REEs and magnets from Chinese suppliers. USCBC conducted a flash survey in mid-July to gauge member companies’ experiences navigating the system.
