Events Archive
POSTPONED: Chinese MNCs and Their Role in the Global Business Ecosystem
This briefing has been postponed. USCBC has rescheduled this briefing for a later date, to be made available virtually. The rescheduled event can be found here.
USTR Briefing on the Trilateral Meeting
The US-China Business Council hosted a conversation with Roy Malmrose, Director, Industrial Subsidy Policy at the Office of the United States Trade Representative to discuss the Joint Statement of the Trilateral Meeting of the Trade Ministers of Japan, the United States and the European Union on distorting subsidization in certain jurisdictions. Director Malmrose discussed plans to work multilaterally to gain broader support for strong and effective subsidy rules among other WTO Members.
Embassy Speaker Series: Minister Xu Xueyuan
The US-China Business Council (USCBC) hosted the first program of 2020 in our embassy speaker series with Minister Xu Xueyuan, the head of the sub-national affairs division.
Minister Xu shared perspectives on US-China trade relationships after the Phase One agreement, the government affairs activities she spearheads at sub-national level, and how member companies might participate in effective engagement. She also discussd the latest on coronavirus containment and what American companies can do to assist.
Financial Services Outcomes from the Phase One Agreement
USCBC hosted a roundtable discussion on developments relating to the opening-up and liberalization of China’s financial services industry. The Office of US Trade Representative (USTR) and US Department of the Treasury (Treasury), key interlocutors in the “Phase One” financial services negotiations with China, provided an overview of the financial services chapter of Phase One of the US-China Economic and Trade Agreement followed by a discussion with members regarding the impact of these commitments on the business landscape US financial services companies face in China.
Forecast 2020
The US-China Business Council assembled an outstanding program of panels, speakers and opportunities to network. Not in recent memory has there been so much news to digest and make sense of. On Wednesday, February 5 the US-China Business Council hosted our Forecast 2020 conference to help businesses prepare for the year ahead. Panel and keynote topics included implications of the Wuhan coronavirus, national security, operational issues, the legislative agenda, the phase one agreement and prospects for a phase two, and a keynote address from Deputy USTR Jeffrey Gerrish.
Experts in their fields addressed:
- Keynote Address
- Ambassador Jeffrey Gerrish, Deputy United States Trade Representative
- Implications of the Wuhan Coronavirus
- Yanzhong Huang, Senior Fellow for Global Health, Council on Foreign Relations
- China's 2020 Economic Forecast
- Henry McVey, Member & Head of Global Macro & Asset Allocation, CIO of KKR Balance Sheet, KKR
- China's Business Landscape and Key Operating Challenges
- Tony Chen, Partner, Jones Day
- Erin Ennis, Senior Director, Global Public Policy, Dell Technologies
- Tim Fenton, Vice President, Global Government Relations, Thermo Fisher Scientific
- National Security Issues Affecting the Bilateral Commercial Relationship
- Grayson Yeargin, Partner, Jones Day
- Eileen Albanese, Director, Office of National Security and Technology Transfer Controls, Bureau of Industry and Security
- John Larkin, President, Larkin Trade International
- China on the Hill—Congressional Perspectives on China
- Sally Laing, International Trade Counsel, Senate Finance Committee
- Mayur Patel, International Trade Counsel, Senate Finance Committee
IP Outcomes from the "Phase One" Agreement
USCBC hosted a roundtable discussion on the outcomes reached in the Intellectual Property (IP) chapter of the “phase one” agreement on January 30. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), a key interlocutor in the “phase one” IP negotiations, summarized key provisions of the IP chapter and engaged in a discussion on implications for the business community. Participants also discussed the impact of China’s IP commitments on the China IP protection and enforcement environment.
What Does the Corporate Social Credit System Mean for Business in China?
China is in the process of implementing an overarching system that evaluates companies on a wide range of metrics to determine their reliability and incentivize desired behavior. This corporate social credit system (SCS) is slated for roll out in 2020, but much is still unclear about how it will impact the business environment.
USCBC hosted a discussion on China’s evolving corporate SCS and how it will impact foreign companies doing business there. Panelists included Jamie Horsley, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and a senior fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center; Jun Wei, the chair of Hogan Lovell’s Greater China practice; Michael Sutherland, an analyst in international trade and finance at the Congressional Research Service; and Kendra Schaefer, a partner at Trivium China. The panel was moderated by Steven Robinson, a partner at Hogan Lovells.
Agricultural Outcomes of the US-China Phase One Agreement with USTR and USDA
After a year-and-a-half of negotiations and tariff escalation, the US and China signed a Phase One Trade Agreement on January 15. The US-China Business Council hosted a briefing on the agricultural outcomes of the Phase One deal with Assistant US Trade Representative for Agricultural Affairs and Commodity Policy Sharon Bomer Lauritsen Ms. Bomer discussed the agricultural portion of the agreement that includes Chinese commitments to purchase large quantities of US agricultural goods as well as the elimination of many market access barriers in the agricultural sector.
Sharon Bomer Lauritsen has served in her current position at the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) since 2011 where she has overall responsibility for negotiations and policy coordination regarding agriculture. Previously, Ms. Bomer worked for the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) as the executive vice president of their food and agriculture section. Prior to joining BIO in 2006, she served deputy assistant USTR for agricultural affairs, and worked in the senior management of the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service before that.
Government Procurement in China: Challenges and Opportunities for Foreign Companies
China’s government procurement environment has been a dynamic space recently, with both opportunities and challenges for foreign companies. A new Foreign Investment Law promised fairer treatment for foreign companies in government procurement and, after a five-year delay, China has submitted a new market access offer in its negotiations to join the World Trade Organization’s Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). At the same time, the Party has reportedly circulated a directive ordering all government offices and public institutions to replace foreign technology within three years.
USCBC hosted a discussion on government procurement in China, covering the importance of the Chinese market to US companies, the implications of China’s latest offer to join the GPA, and some of the challenges that US companies face in government procurement on the ground in China. Panelists included Erin Ennis, senior director for global public policy at Dell, Jean Heilman Grier, trade principal at Djaghe, LLC and former senior procurement negotiator at the Office of the US Trade Representative, and Patrick Lozada, director for global policy at the Telecommunications Industry Association. Stephen Kho, a partner at Akin Gump, moderated the panel.
Operating in Hong Kong – A Discussion with AmCham HK President Tara Joseph
USCBC hosted a discussion with Tara Joseph, President of AmCham Hong Kong, and heard the on-the-ground perspective of business operations in Hong Kong. Tara addressed how businesses have been affected by recent political unrest, and strategies they’ve used to navigate the political and operational risk environment in Hong Kong.