China's Policy Environment in 2019: Is it Good for Business?
USCBC hosted Andrew Polk, Co-founder at Trivium, and Jude Blanchette, Senior Advisor and China Practice Lead at Crumpton Group, on May 21 for a discussion of China’s stated policy efforts to improve the business and investment environment. Will these promises translate into increased market access for foreign companies? Will the domestic economy stabilize and will this strategy deliver the growth China’s leadership desires? What are the impacts of the ongoing US-China geopolitical tensions?
Negotiations Update: What will be in the deal?
The US-China Business Council hosted David Dollar, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, to talk about the latest status of the trade negotiations as they enter into the final stages. USCBC President Craig Allen moderated the discussion. With a deal likely to be announced at the end of China’s Vice Premier Liu He’s visit on May 10, many are interested in what the agreement will include. David Dollar and Craig Allen provided their insights on what both countries have likely agreed to in the trade deal.
David Dollar is an expert on China’s economy and on the US-China economic relationship. Previously, David facilitated the Strategic and Economic Dialogue in his role as the Treasury’s Economic and Financial Emissary to China. Prior to the Treasury, David worked at the World Bank where his research focused on Asian economies.
China’s Recent IP Changes and View From the Ground: A Conversation with USPTO
The Chinese government has recently taken several measures to strengthen China’s intellectual property rights system, including regulatory changes that address key concerns of US businesses. At the end of April, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) approved amendments that address bad faith trademark activity, IP loss as a result of government inspections, and trade secrets protection. To understand these and other legislative changes, USCBC hosted a discussion with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Elaine Wu, Senior Counsel for China, Office of Policy and International Affairs, USPTO, and several attorney advisors from the USPTO China Team provided an update on recent developments in China’s IP environment, and shared insights from on the ground that will benefit US rights holders.
Trade Talks Update and What's Next for US-China Relations
The US-China Business Council (USCBC) and AmCham Shanghai hosted a morning debrief on the trade talks and future of US-China relations. This light breakfast event gave an update of the trade negotiations, analysis of the state of US-China relations 40 years in, and an outlook for where the relationship goes from here. The program will provide both US and China perspectives. Speakers included:
- David Hoffman, Senior Vice President Asia and Managing Director, The Conference Board China Center for Economics & Business
- Kenneth Jarrett, Senior Advisor, Albright Stonebridge Group
- Qiao Yide, Vice Chairman & Secretary General, Shanghai Development Research Foundation
The Evolution of China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Implications for US Companies
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) encompasses ambitious infrastructure projects in dozens of countries, but at the same time has garnered criticism for lacking transparency and employing questionable standards. Following the conclusion of the second Belt and Road Forum in late April, USCBC hosted a discussion on how BRI is evolving and what opportunities and challenges it may create for US companies operating in China and other markets around the world. Nadège Rolland, senior fellow for political and security affairs with the National Bureau of Asian Research, and Jonathan Hillman, Director of the Reconnecting Asia project with CSIS, shared their insights on the outcomes of the forum and implications for business.
What's The Deal? An Update on US-China Trade Talks
After months of negotiations, the United States and China are expected to reach a trade deal in early May. Nonetheless, geopolitical concerns and strategic mistrust between the two countries will remain in years to come. How will the ongoing tension affect US companies and their operations in China? AmCham Hong Kong hosted Owen Haacke, Chief Representative of the US-China Business Council Shanghai office, who spoke on the latest developments in US-China relations.
Topics covered:
- An update on US-China trade negotiation;
- An overview of how US companies are doing so far in 2019 as well as challenges and opportunities;
- Current business environment in China
2019 Compliance Best Practices and the China Initiative
The US-China Business Council hosted a breakfast program to share an update on the trends and forecasts related to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and best practices for companies in managing effective compliance teams.
The program featured a panel of in-house compliance experts to share case studies for managing effective compliance teams. Panel speakers included:
- Haining Zhan, Regional Compliance Director, Asia Pacific, at Ford.
- Xin Chen, Ethics & Compliance Director, Starbucks China
In addition, Dr. Tim Klatte, Partner, of USCBC member firm Grant Thornton will address the China Initiative. In late 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice introduced the China Initiative, a clear strategy to identify priority Chinese trade theft cases impacting the United States. Now, in perhaps one of the most sensitive economic periods between China and the United States, it is essential for organizations to focus on sustaining a clear compliance strategy in China.
We look forward to welcoming you to a discussion that is not only timely, but also relevant for your organization in China.
Agenda
- 8:30 - 9:00am — Registration
- 9:00 - 10:00am — Breakfast program
- 10:00 - 10:30am — Q&A
China Market Intelligence Live Conference Call
Erin Ennis, Senior Vice President, and Jake Parker, Vice President of China Operations, gave updates on the US-China negotiations during our China Market Intelligence Live conference call on Monday May 6 at 8:00pm EDT/Tuesday May 7 at 8:00am for those based in China. .
Environmental Enforcement and Compliance Best Practices
The US-China Business Council held a briefing and panel discussion in Shanghai on Tuesday, April 23 on environmental enforcement trends and compliance best practices for companies.
USCBC Environmental Report Overview
Owen Haacke, Chief Representative of USCBC's Shanghai office, shared details from the Environmental Compliance for US Companies in China report released in March, covering takeaways from interviews with 30 member company representatives and other stakeholders from a variety of industries. The report covers challenges, effective mitigation strategies, and policy recommendations.
Panel Discussion
A panel of experts on China’s environmental policies and enforcement will share recent insights on China’s policies changes and impact on company operations.
- Peter Corne, Managing Partner of Dorsey & Whitney’s Shanghai office, and is Co-Head of the Firm’s U.S.-China Practice Group and the Firm’s Sustainability Practice Group
- Dr. Wang Yong, Chairman of environmental consultancy Mr. E
- Julia Coym, Senior Analyst in Control Risks’ Global Risk Analysis practice
US-China Innovation Forum
Rapid technological advancements offer a wealth of potential opportunities for business and consumers, but also present a set of serious public policy challenges for the United States, China and others. Maximizing the benefits of innovation requires strong support for R&D and open markets, and policies and practices that effectively protect intellectual property rights, privacy, and national security.
Our April 10 kickoff event featured American and Chinese representatives from industry, finance, government and think tanks who discussed how to best foster, protect, and advance innovation.
The US-China Innovation Forum is a joint initiative of the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies and the US-China Business Council.
The full livestream is available here.