51st Annual Membership Meeting

The US-China Business Council (USCBC) hosted its 51st Annual Membership Meeting on June 12 in Washington, DC. The event convened more than 100 USCBC member company representatives and guests to hear insights from corporate leaders, policy experts, and government officials on the trajectory of US-China relations and its implications for bilateral trade and investment. 

The meeting began with opening remarks by USCBC President Craig Allen, followed by a panel discussion between USCBC member company experts on navigating opportunities and challenges in the China market. The panel featured Jason McNeil, vice president of global sourcing, quality assurance, and customer satisfaction at AutoZone; Scott Wright, division president of advanced materials at Huntsman Corporation; and Jeff Zhu, executive vice president and president of carbon and silica technologies, battery materials, and Asia-Pacific region at Cabot Corporation. 

Next was a fireside chat with Sarah Beran, special assistant to the president and senior director for China and Taiwan Affairs at the National Security Council. Beran shared the White House’s views on the US-China bilateral relationship, focusing on topics like climate change cooperation, artificial intelligence, and Chinese economic issues. 

A panel discussion followed, with panelists outlining what a second Trump administration’s approach to China might look like, from proposed tariffs to technology restrictions. The panel included Derrick Morgan, executive vice president of the Heritage Foundation; Kelly Ann Shaw, partner at Hogan Lovells; and Matthew Turpin, visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. 

The meeting then shifted to a fireside chat with Mike Pyle, former US deputy national security advisor for international economics under the Biden administration. Pyle discussed the technical aspects of the administration’s US-China policy, including export controls and executive orders, and their implications. 

The meeting concluded with a conversation with Mark Lambert, China coordinator and deputy assistant secretary in the US State Department’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs. Lambert shared his thoughts on the development of the US-China bilateral relationship since the Biden-Xi Woodside summit in November 2023.