USCBC President Visits China

USCBC President John Frisbie visited Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong during the last two weeks of July to meet with senior PRC government officials and advocate USCBC positions. Frisbie also met with member company representatives to learn about their key operating and policy concerns.

In Beijing, Frisbie met with vice- and assistant-minister level officials at the ministries of Commerce, Finance, and Foreign Affairs, the three key PRC agencies coordinating the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) and Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED). He underscored that the JCCT and SED dialogues are the best way to achieve progress on US companies' operating challenges and to undercut pressures for anti-China legislation. Frisbie also raised several specific market access issues as well as product safety and worrisome protectionist trends in trade and investment policies in the United States and China.

In a meeting with a vice governor of the People's Bank of China, Frisbie noted that the exchange rate continues to be of symbolic importance to many in the United States, even though its actual impact on the US trade deficit is likely overstated. Frisbie emphasized that USCBC believes the ultimate solution to this issue is for China to move toward a market-driven exchange rate and thus supports more financial sector reforms and market openings.

In Shanghai, Frisbie met with Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng and discussed the city's plans to develop its services sector. Frisbie gave Han the USCBC-commissioned report The Prospects for US-China Services Trade and Investment, which highlights the benefits to both economies of further opening China's services sector to foreign participation.

In addition to government meetings, Frisbie met with more than 100 USCBC member company representatives in the three cities and briefed them on his PRC government meetings and Washington trade politics. He also heard executives' detailed views on the operating environment in China. In Hong Kong, Frisbie spoke about the current state of US-China trade relations at a luncheon cosponsored by USCBC, AmCham Hong Kong, and AmCham China Business Committee leaders.

USCBC Hosts Annual Membership Meeting in Washington

The US-China Business Council (USCBC) held its 34th Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, DC, on June 5. Donald Hanna, managing director and head of Emerging Market Economic and Market Analysis, Citi, opened the conference with an update on China's economy. Alan Wm. Wolff, managing partner, Washington, DC, Office, Dewey Ballantine LLP, followed with a discussion on China's innovation drive and implications for US Companies. Next, Jill Malila, Client Management director, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, spoke on hiring, compensation, and retention trends and strategies. Godfrey Firth, chief representative, Shanghai, USCBC, discussed new challenges that face US companies expanding in China. Grant Aldonas, Scholl Chair in International Business, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and principal managing director, Split Rock International, Inc., spoke on bilateral commercial issues such as the Strategic Economic Dialogue, Congress, and future developments. Former Secretary of State and of the Treasury James A. Baker III, senior partner, Baker Botts LLP, delivered the luncheon keynote address on the future of US-China relations.

USCBC President John Frisbie (right) and Annual Meeting speaker Donald Hanna, director and global head of the Emerging Markets team in the Economic and Market Analysis Department at Citigroup Global Markets

Jill Malila, a principal and director of Client Management-China for Mercer Human Resource Consulting

USCBC Shanghai Chief Representative Godfrey Firth	Grant Aldonas, founder and principal managing director of Split Rock Consulting Inc.	James A. Baker III, former secretary of State and of the Treasury
Nearly 150 guests attended the Annual Meeting conference and luncheon
Photos by sardari.com

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Copyright 2007 US-China Business Council