China Business Review

Taking stock as we enter USCBC’s 50th year

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 16:27:39 +0000

As we head into USCBC’s 50th year, we wanted to catch up with the organization’s president, Craig Allen, and get some reflections on the year behind us, the year ahead of us, and the next few decades.

The State of USCBC As We Embark on Our 50th Year: A Note to Members from Craig Allen
Learn more about USCBC on our website

What unexpected midterm results mean for China policy

Erin Slawson — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 18:30:53 +0000

It’s been just over a week since election day in the United States, and the results are not quite final but coming into sight. Democrats will keep the Senate, potentially even gaining a seat depending on a runoff election in Georgia next month. As votes continue to be tallied across the country, Republicans are one victory away from flipping the House of Representatives, but with a much narrower majority than what forecasters were expecting. Despite losing control of the House, the Democrats’ still better-than-expected showing was a tailwind for President Biden, when met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 in Bali less than a week after election day. Congress’s role in US policy toward China seems to expand every year, and so naturally, we’re wondering: What do these election results mean for US-China trade moving forward, and for US policy toward China as a whole? This week, we chat with Joseph Rafshoon, a government affairs manager at the US-China Business Council.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
See more analysis from our government affairs team

Two tales of travel to China

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 20:06:10 +0000

For many executives and businesspeople, it’s been a long time since they were able to visit China. Quarantine expectations, paperwork, and the process of finding flights all add up to a relatively large expense, both in time and finances. But still, visiting the country is important—be it to see friends and family, or to check up on local operations. So, this week, we bring you two stories of travel to China. One, from Jack Kamensky, our senior director of business advisory services in Washington, who is traveling with USCBC president Craig Allen in China at the moment, and the other from Lance Yau, one of our business advisory services managers in Beijing, who recently visited family in Hong Kong and traveled back to the mainland after.

Learn more about USCBC on our website.
Read more about Craig Allen’s trip to China.
Have questions? Get in touch

USCBC president’s first visit to China in three years

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 18:50:23 +0000

For the first time in three years, USCBC President Craig Allen is headed back to China. While there, he’ll be meeting with government interlocutors, member companies, and our hardworking staff in China. So before he boards the flight for Shanghai, we sat down with Craig to chat about his expectations for and thoughts about the trip.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
Read Craig’s most recent letter about his upcoming trip: Why I’m Traveling to China

What to watch for in the upcoming Party Congress

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:01:18 +0000

Starting October 16th, China will undergo its 20th Party Congress, a major political meeting that happens every five years to decide some of the personnel who will take key positions in the Party. To get a refresher on what a Party Congress is and what key personnel changes might mean for the business community, we’re on the line this week with Annie Whitehurst, a Business Advisory Services Manager in our Washington DC office.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
Learn more about how the Chinese government is structured

A trip to Hainan’s International Consumer Products Expo

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 15:49:22 +0000

Some of our colleagues in China recently went to the International Consumer Products Expo in Hainan. To catch up on the trip, we’re on the line this week with our senior director in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Learn more about USCBC on our website

How much does China spend on industrial policy?

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 19:56:37 +0000

From funding for domestic chip manufacturing making its way through the US government right now to China’s subsidization of industries it views as strategic, industrial policy is an important aspect of understanding today’s intersection of business and government. But just how much do countries spend on industrial policy? It turns out, although lots of research has been done on the efficacy of industrial policy, less ink has been spilled about the question of the size of that spending. To shed some light on the sheer scale of industrial policy spending in China and other countries, we chat with the authors of a new report on the topic from CSIS, Ilaria Mazzocco and Gerard DiPippo.

Read the report: Red Ink: Estimating Chinese Industrial Policy Spending in Comparative Perspective
Learn more about USCBC on our website

China finalizes new cross-border data transfer review rules

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 15:18:48 +0000

With the finalization of new cross-border data transfer rules in China, companies are looking at how they need to adapt their business models. To get an explanation of the new rules’ importance, we’re on the line this week with our senior vice president for China operations, Matt Margulies.

Some related reading for USCBC members:

What does the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity actually entail?

Erin Slawson — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 20:00:53 +0000

Last year, President Biden announced that the United States would be exploring the development of an Indo-Pacific economic framework. The announcement was made during a virtual East Asia Summit back in October. That framework, known as IPEF, was officially launched last month. Over the intervening seven months, bits of information and broad concepts about IPEF trickled out of the administration here and there, but we didn’t know in detail what IPEF would entail. To get a better idea of what the deal includes and what it means for the region, we talk with Anna Ashton, Senior Fellow for Trade, Investment, and Innovation at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
Read more about the US-China economic and business relationship in the China Business Review

A benchmark on how companies are coping with Omicron

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 18 May 2022 15:40:18 +0000

As China’s COVID-19 situation evolves, our China offices have been putting together a benchmarking report on how companies have been affected by COVID control measures and how they are navigating the challenges around them. To get a roundup of that report and the latest from Beijing, we’re on the line this week with our senior director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Need to get in touch? Reach out here
See the latest in our COVID-19 policy tracker
Learn more about USCBC on our website

How companies are approaching China’s changing cyber landscape

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 12 May 2022 14:53:08 +0000

The past five years have seen significant developments in China’s data, privacy, and cybersecurity regimes, all aimed at protecting personal data and strengthening national security. These changes are analyzed in a recent report from USCBC, and today we’re chatting with Hannah Feldshuh, one of the authors, about how the changing environment is affecting companies.

Read the report: How American Companies are Approaching China’s Data, Privacy, and Cybersecurity Regimes
Learn more about USCBC on our website

What does the future of US-China decoupling look like?

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 05 May 2022 18:38:15 +0000

The phrase “decoupling” is used frequently in the context of the US-China tech relationship, but what precisely does it mean? Just how coupled are the United States’ and China’s tech ecosystems and how is that relationship changing? And what does the future hold for those interconnections? We talk with Jon Bateman, a fellow in the Cyber Policy Initiative of the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the author of a new report on US-China technological decoupling.

Read Jon’s report: US-China Technological “Decoupling”: A Strategy and Policy Framework
Read more about the US-China business and economic relationship in the China Business Review
Learn more about USCBC on our website

A look at the latest US exports to China

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 20:12:34 +0000

The latest data on US exports to China paint a picture of extremes. In 2021, as global trade continued recovering from the pandemic, goods exports to China grew by 21 percent to an all-time high of $149.2 billion. On the other hand, in 2020, the latest year of services data available, services exports to China contracted by 33 percent to $37 billion. The number of US jobs supported by both goods and services exports to China stood at just over 858,000 in 2020, roughly 44,000 fewer than in 2019, a five percent drop. This week, my colleague Erin Slawson and I dig into our US Export Report 2022.

Read the report and find data from your state and congressional district here!
Learn more about USCBC on our website.

A new USCBC fast track travel program

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 18:41:47 +0000

We know that travelling to China is simultaneously important for company operations and also a bit of a logistical nightmare. To ease that a little bit, we’ve set up a fast track travel program to help members expedite the process of getting a PU letter. To chat about the program, we’re on the line this week with our Senior Director in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Learn more: US-China Fast Track Travel Program FAQs for Members

Learn more about USCBC on our website

What’s happening in China that we might not see in the United States

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 18:57:02 +0000

This podcast can sometimes get a little into the weeds, we realize. This week, we wanted to step back and take in the broad view, so we’re on the line this week with our Senior Vice President for China Operations Matt Margulies for an on-the-ground check in of what’s going on in China.

Learn more about USCBC on our website

A roundup of the NPC’s annual session and the Government Work Report

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 17:04:11 +0000

China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) concluded its annual meeting on Friday, and Premier Li Keqiang closed out the event with the presentation of the annual Government Work Report. To get a roundup of the main takeaways from the meetings and the report, we’re on the line with our senior director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

More analysis for USCBC members: China’s Annual Legislative Meetings Emphasize Economic Stability in 2022
Learn more about USCBC on our website

The latest on China’s COVID-19 situation

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 16:47:52 +0000

China is currently facing its largest outbreak of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. So what does this mean for China’s COVID-zero strategy? To discuss, we’re on the line this week with our senior director in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Learn more about USCBC on our website

What exactly does it mean to be on Commerce’s Unverified List?

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 16:01:07 +0000

About a month ago, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added 33 Chinese companies to its Unverified List (UVL). Following that announcement, there was a lot of confusion about what inclusion on the list meant. So to get a bit of clarification, we’re on the line this week with Matt Margulies, our senior vice president for China operations.

Want to talk with Matt? Find his email here.
USCBC’s Washington Update: Week in Review: Chinese Companies Added to Unverified List, China Misses Phase One Targets, and Tariff Exclusions
Learn more about USCBC on our website

Omicron’s effects on supply chains and the Olympics

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 16:46:38 +0000

The arrival of several cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in China has caused some supply chain snarls and increased control measures ahead of the Olympic games. To get a roundup, we’re on the line this week with our Beijing director, Lipei Zhang.

Learn more about USCBC on our website

The latest on business travel to China

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 16:24:06 +0000

Travel to China remains a major area of concern for the business community. With some new variables in the mix—a fast track program on the plus side and omicron on the downside—where do we stand? To get an answer, we’re on the line this week with our director in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Does China’s protected home market bolster its firms abroad?

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 20:56:42 +0000

It’s hard to get into any conversation about competition with China without addressing whether competition in a particular industry is fair. Do foreign companies in China and Chinese companies in foreign markets play by the same rules? In a report from Rhodium Group released last spring, Dr. Agatha Kratz and her colleagues took a look into how Chinese firms have what they term a “home advantage” and how that advantage at home has impacts for Chinese companies and their competitors not only in China, but abroad.

Read the Rhodium Group’s report: Home Advantage: How China’s Protected Market Threatens Europe’s Economic Power
Read more articles about the US-China business and economic relationship in the China Business Review
Learn more about USCBC on our website

Four things to watch in China in 2022

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 16:05:51 +0000

So as we’re just a few days into the new year, we figured it’d be good to get a read on what trends and events we should be watching this year. To get that list, we’re on the line this week with Matt Margulies, our vice president for China operations.

Learn more about USCBC
Some related reading: Stability and Risk Control Drive China’s 2022 Economic Agenda

The forces driving industrial automation in China

Erin Slawson — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 21:57:34 +0000

By 2016, China had the world’s largest stock of operational robots. This was a massive increase from 2010, when it trailed Japan, the United States, Germany, and South Korea. To learn why and how China is automating so rapidly, I spoke with Dr. Hongbin Li, Co-Director of the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions (SCCEI).

Read the SCCEI China brief here.
Read “The Rise of Robots in China” by Hong Cheng, Ruixue Jia, Dandan Li, and Hongbin Li in the Journal of Economic Perspectives.
Read more about the economic and business aspects of the US-China relationship in the China Business Review.
Learn more about USCBC on our website.

Highlights from our annual Gala

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 18:40:25 +0000

Earlier this month, we held our annual Gala. Each year, we take some time in December to meet, celebrate the year behind us, and look to the year ahead. This year, we heard from US and Chinese government speakers, Dr. Henry Kissinger, and from our honoree for the evening, Ambassador Stapleton Roy. So this week, a look in at some of the remarks offered during the evening.

Questions about the fast-track travel program? Send me an email: ihutchinson@uschina.org
See more about our Gala in USCBC President Craig Allen’s latest note to members
Learn more about USCBC on our website

An update on China’s antimonopoly enforcement efforts

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 16:23:53 +0000

There have recently been some updates to China’s Antimonopoly Law, so we wanted to get an update from our China offices on the topic. This week, we chat with our Director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Learn more about USCBC on our website

Our recommendations for a more durable bilateral trade relationship

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 15:17:23 +0000

USCBC recently led the drafting and delivery of an industry letter cosigned by about two dozen other associations to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. In it, we made some suggestions for how the administration might pursue a more durable trade and economic strategy with China. To chat about the letter, we have USCBC’s Vice President for Government Affairs Anna Ashton on the line.

Read the letter: Industry Letter on US-China Trade and Commercial Relations
Learn more about USCBC on our website

A look at export data to China at the Congressional district level

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 19:55:22 +0000

We recently launched our 2021 District Export Report, which takes a deep dive into goods and services export from the United States to China. In this report, we’ve got data from all 435 US congressional districts, as well as the district of Columbia. So to chat a bit about the report, today we’re joined by Erin Slawson, our senior editor here in DC, who coauthored the report with Ian Hutchinson.

What falling bilateral tech FDI means for companies

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 15:31:16 +0000

Between 2016 and 2020, technology-related foreign direct investment between the United States and China has fallen by 96%, according to research from Bain & Company. In a section of the company’s annual Technology Report, Karen Harris coauthored a piece about how US-China FDI in technology has plummeted and how that decoupling will affect companies moving forward. Karen Harris is the Managing Director of Bain’s Macro Trends Group, and we chatted with her about falling bilateral tech FDI, US and Chinese indigenous tech drives, and how companies should think about the shifting environment.

Read Bain’s Technology Report 2021
Read Karen’s coauthored piece on falling US-China bilateral tech FDI: The US and China Are Decoupling, and Other Countries Are Following
Read more about the economic and business aspects of the US-China relationship on the China Business Review
Learn more about USCBC on our website

Why China’s $55 trillion property market is in flux

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 15:52:42 +0000

Between the ongoing Evergrande saga and the launch of a new property tax pilot in China, real estate has been a huge topic lately. And that makes sense, given the size of China’s real estate market. To get a quick explainer on why the country’s property market is so important, we’re on the line this week with our Vice President for China Operations Matt Margulies.

Learn more about USCBC on our website

What should we make of China’s CPTPP bid?

Erin Slawson — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 04:47:15 +0000

More than four years after the United States pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which eventually became the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), China has applied to join. Is the bid sincere or viable? In today’s episode, Jeffrey Schott, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, discusses what China’s bid means for the future of the trade pact and for US engagement in the Asia Pacific.

Companies in China grapple with electricity cuts

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 16:23:33 +0000

One topic that has been dominating headlines out of China has been power shortages. Since our China offices are currently closed for the national holiday, today we’re chatting with Jack Kamensky, USCBC’s director of business advisory services, based here in Washington, DC.

Need to get in touch about how power outages are affecting your company? Reach out to me (ihutchinson@uschina.org) or find another staff member in our directory.
Learn more about USCBC on our website

A quick chat with our new senior vice president, David Thomas

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 18:17:28 +0000

We have some personnel news here in Washington. Our new senior vice president recently started in our DC office, and we figured it would be good for members to be able to put a voice with a name. So this week, we chat with our new senior vice president, David Thomas.

Have a question? Get in touch with David here.
Learn more about USCBC on our website.

What does “common prosperity” mean for companies?

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 18:27:40 +0000

Common prosperity has become a real buzzword lately in Chinese media and government statements. But what exactly does the term represent, and what does it mean for companies? To dig into the topic, we chat with Lipei Zhang, our director in Beijing.

More from USCBC: Will Common Prosperity Usher in China’s Progressive Era?
Learn more about USCBC on our website

Navigating China’s evolving government procurement market

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 19:34:56 +0000

This week, we launched our latest report, looking at the challenges US companies face in China’s government procurement market and some of the strategies they use to overcome them. To get a quick rundown of the main points, this week we’re chatting with the author, Alison Schonberg, a business advisory services manager with USCBC in DC.

Read the report: Government Procurement and Sales to State-Owned Enterprises in China
Learn more about USCBC on our website

Bonus: What you should know about the Personal Information Protection Law

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 14:48:13 +0000

China’s congress recently passed the Personal Information Protection Law, a piece of legislation that will significantly impact how foreign and Chinese companies collect, use, and transfer personal information. To get a rundown of what companies need to know about the law and its implementation, we’re on the line with Hannah Feldshuh, a business advisory services manager for USCBC in Beijing.

More on the PIPL from USCBC: China Passes Personal Information Protection Law
Learn more about USCBC on our website

Understanding China’s new regulations on critical information infrastructure

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 15:25:39 +0000

China’s regulatory environment has seen some pretty significant developments lately, especially in data privacy, cybersecurity, and competition policy. To get a rundown of the most important changes, we’re on the line this week with our Vice President for China Operations, Matt Margulies.

How the digital yuan could change China’s payment landscape

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:38:50 +0000

China has been doing public testing for its new digital currency, called the digital yuan or Digital Currency Electronic Payment. The introduction of the digital money, issued by the People’s Bank of China, has significant implications for the future of China’s payment economy and services like WeChat Pay and AliPay. To talk more about the digital yuan and its potential impacts, we sat down with Jeremy Mark, a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Read Jeremy’s latest article on the digital yuan: Why China’s digital currency threatens the country’s tech giants
Read more articles about the economic and business aspects of the US-China relationship in the China Business Review

An update from Hainan

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 19:05:27 +0000

The island of Hainan in southern China is a tropical destination that’s being developed as a free trade area by the Chinese government. A delegation from USCBC recently visited the province for a set of meetings. This week, to get a roundup of the meetings, we chat with our Chief Representative in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

More from USCBC on Hainan’s development:

How China’s data privacy regime affects companies

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 19:01:32 +0000

After a crackdown on ride-hailing app Didi over issues of mishandling of users’ sensitive data, China’s rules and regulations around data privacy are becoming a major focus for companies. So what does the landscape of China’s data privacy rules look like? And what do US companies need to know to ensure they don’t run afoul of those rules? We chat with Hannah Feldshuh, a business advisory services manager covering the issue.

Read more about recent revisions: Draft Revisions to Data and Privacy Laws Leave Long-Standing Concerns Unaddressed
Read more articles about the US-China economic relationship in the China Business Review

What can we learn from recent actions against Didi?

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 16:39:31 +0000

China’s massive ride-hailing app Didi has been in focus lately as Chinese government regulators have dealt several blows to the company, including an investigation and banning the company’s app from app stores. This week, we’re having a quick chat with Hannah Feldshuh, one of our BAS managers in Beijing who covers data issues and has been following this story.

Learn more about USCBC on our website

Read more articles about China’s data protection regime and changing regulatory environment in China Market Intelligence

An operational update from Shanghai

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 15:29:38 +0000

Our Shanghai office has recently been holding some meetings with company representatives and Chinese government officials as well, so we wanted to get an update from their on-the-ground work. To get that update, we’re on the line with our Chief Representative in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

China passes the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law

Erin Slawson — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 21:01:58 +0000

The biggest news in the past week out of China has probably been the passage of the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law. To get a rundown of the law, we’re on the line this week with our Vice President for China Operations, Matt Margulies.

Relevant links:

Liu He meets with Katherine Tai and Janet Yellen

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 15:34:13 +0000

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He has recently met with both USTR Katherine Tai and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. This week, to get a debrief on how the Chinese government and media is looking at the meetings, we’re on the line with our chief representative in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Get in touch with Melinda
Have questions about the podcast? Get in touch
Learn more about USCBC on our website

An update from central China

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 25 May 2021 16:20:35 +0000

Recently, a group from our Beijing office headed to Shanxi province in central China for some forums and some private meetings. To get a roundup from the meetings, we’re on the line with our vice president for China operations, Matt Margulies.

Get in touch with Matt about upcoming meetings
Learn more about USCBC on our website

Lessons from a decade of work in the US-China relationship

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 20 May 2021 15:32:02 +0000

This week, a few milestones. Today is our hundredth episode of the China Business Minute. It’s been quite a journey since April of 2019 when we released our first episode. Thank you so much for listening throughout those two years. As you might have noticed, to celebrate this milestone, we’ve refreshed the cover art for our show, but don’t worry, it’ll be the same great information coming weekly from our China offices. This week, we also say our goodbyes to our senior vice president, Jake Parker, and chat about what he’s learned in the past ten years of working at the US-China Business Council.

Learn more on our website
Questions? Comments? Get in touch: ihutchinson@uschina.org

Industry’s bone to pick with the ICTS supply chain order

Erin Slawson — Tue, 18 May 2021 21:08:59 +0000

An interim final rule giving the commerce secretary sweeping powers to block transactions in the ICT space that pose a threat to national security has been in effect since late March, but its origins go back to the Trump administration. Since 2019, companies have been pleading with the Department of Commerce to provide more clarity on what kinds of transactions and business partners Commerce will be looking at in the hopes that they can de-risk their business activities before it’s too late. To learn how the rule came about and why industry has been so reluctant to accept it, we’re chatting with Antonio Douglas, a business advisory services manager at the US-China Business Council.

Parsing China’s latest consumption and trade data

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 11 May 2021 14:59:17 +0000

This week, we’re mostly talking consumption. About a week after the end of the May Day holiday in China, we’ve got a better picture of travel levels, tourism spending, and some other domestic drives to promote consumption. This week, we’re on the line with our Chief Representative in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
More about China’s plans for Hainan: China’s Legislative Priorities for 2021: Data, Privacy, Competition, and Liberalizing Hainan
More about Q1 trade data: Q1 2021 Bilateral Trade Update

Got questions or comments about the podcast? Reach out to me at ihutchinson@uschina.org.

Incremental steps towards resuming normal US-China travel

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 03 May 2021 17:59:50 +0000

As Chinese day trippers and travelers took 56 million trips this past Saturday and over a million people visited tourist destinations in Beijing for the May Day holiday, travel is on the mind. So to get an update on US-China travel, we’re on the line with our vice president for China operations, Matt Margulies.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
More about Chinese students in the US from our companion podcast, the China Business Review: How important are Chinese students to the US education system?
Have questions about returning to China? Get in touch with our Business Advisory Services team.

A bilateral relationship update and a look at China’s legislative plans

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 14:33:18 +0000

This week we wanted to get a quick update on some recent news in the US-China bilateral relationship and take a look ahead at China’s legislative plans for the upcoming year, so we’re on the line with our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Get the latest policy updates on our website
See upcoming policy briefing events we’re hosting

A look at China’s climate change plans

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 18:42:34 +0000

After the US climate envoy John Kerry’s visit to China, it’s clear that combating climate change is one place where the United States and China are going to try to find some common ground and common interests. To get a readout on the meeting and China’s climate plans for the future, we’re on the line with our chief representative in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
Read more about China’s efforts to move electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s needed: From West to East: The Charged Challenge of Delivering Electricity

White House and industry meet to discuss semiconductor shortage

Erin Slawson — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 21:32:47 +0000

The automotive sector, among other industries, is still coping with a shortage of chips. Not only is this impacting companies and their employees, it has also become a problem for the US government at the federal, state, and local level. Does Biden’s infrastructure plan present a long-term solution? How does China come into play? This week, we’re on the line with USCBC Senior Vice President Jake Parker. Learn more about USCBC on our website

A quick recap of Forecast Beijing 2021

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 14:47:38 +0000

Our Beijing office recently finished up its first in-person event since the start of the pandemic last year. This week, to get some of the highlights from the event we’re on the line with our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Forecast Beijing 2021
Learn more on our website

How can the United States compete with China on semiconductors?

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 14:04:25 +0000

You’re probably using a semiconductor right now to listen to this podcast, on your computer or smartphone. These chips are increasingly critical to a large sector of the global economy and countries including the United States and China are working to ensure access to them. How are they going about securing those supply chains and encouraging domestic chip production? To cover this topic, we chat with Naomi Wilson, Vice President of Policy for Asia at the Information Technology Industry Council.

Read the latest from the China Business Review on our website
Learn more about USCBC on our website

What companies should know about cybersecurity and data flows in China

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 18:46:22 +0000

Our Shanghai office recently hosted a cybersecurity workshop for companies that touched on some shared concerns and best practices. This week, to dig into some of the regulatory challenges that companies face on the ground, we’re on the line with our Chief Representative in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Learn more about USCBC on our website!

Takeaways from the Alaska meetings

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 15:45:08 +0000

Last week, representatives from the United States and China held the first major bilateral meetings under the Biden administration. By all accounts, tensions were pretty high, but the meetings still yielded some results and items for companies to pay attention to. This week, we get the latest from our Vice President of China Operations Matt Margulies.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
Upcoming member briefing on March 24th: Briefing on the US-China Alaska Meetings with the State Department

A quick look at the 14th Five-Year Plan

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 15:33:43 +0000

As China’s legislative sessions have come to a close, focus is now on the document that will offer guidelines and targets for the coming five years, the aptly-named Five-Year Plan. Today, to get a brief roundup of what’s in that document, we’re on the line with our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Full analysis: China Issues Economic Blueprint for Next Five Years
Join us for Forecast Beijing 2021!

What we’ve learned so far from the “two sessions”

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:06:15 +0000

Last week, we saw the start of China’s main legislative meetings for the year, referred to as the “two sessions.” So to get an update on the meetings and some of the primary takeaways, this week we’re on the line with our Director in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Read USCBC’s analysis of the meetings thus far: China’s Annual Legislative Meetings Begin
Learn more about USCBC on our website

What do you need to know about the “two sessions?”

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 16:09:13 +0000

China’s parliamentary “two sessions” start this week. What can we expect to be on the agenda and what should companies be paying special attention to? We get our update this week from our Vice President for China Operations Matt Margulies.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
Interested in the provincial level “two sessions?” Listen to our podcast on that topic

Consumption data from a stay-at-home Lunar New Year

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 15:50:45 +0000

Sorry there was no podcast in your feed last week, we were off as our China offices were closed to celebrate the Lunar New Year! Now that they’re back though, so is the podcast—this week, we’re on the line with our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang to discuss consumption data, the upcoming 14th Five Year Plan, and our Beijing Forecast conference.

Get tickets to Forecast Beijing 2021!
Learn more on our website.

What we can learn from provincial “two sessions”

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 16:31:22 +0000

In the past few weeks, provinces in China have been holding their two major annual political meetings, reviewing economic and social development in the past year and planning for the next. To get an overview of what’s being covered and what it might tell us about the national “two sessions,” we’re on the line with our Director in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
Want to know more about planned visits with provincial governments? Get in touch

Some operational takeaways from Forecast 2021

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 20:54:30 +0000

It is a little later in the week for the podcast than usual, and that’s because we had our Forecast 2021 conference this week. It was a great event with a lot of interesting insights. We wanted to get a few takeaways from one of the panels, so we’re on the line with our VP of China Operations, Matt Margulies.

More Forecast 2021: Keynote: The Future of the US’ China Policy Under the Biden Administration
Learn more about USCBC on our website

Getting prepared for Chinese New Year

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 16:27:00 +0000

We’re approaching Chinese New Year, but at the moment, we’re still facing the threat of COVID-19. So to get an update from Beijing of what things look like on the ground in preparation for the big holiday, we’re on the line with our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Learn more about USCBC on our website.

A look at China’s recent spate of bond defaults

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 15:55:32 +0000

In 2020, around 40 Chinese companies defaulted on bonds worth $30 billion, which amounts to a 14% higher amount than in 2019, according to a Bloomberg analysis. At the end of last year, there were a number of fairly high profile and also unexpected bond defaults in mainland China. So we figured it’d be prudent to talk to someone who covers SOE debt and the relevant trappings in order to unpack what’s happening with these recent defaults, and what we can expect moving forward. To help us dig through these issues, we’re chatting with Tianlei Huang, a research fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

A COVID update, a record trade surplus, and new PRCG personnel

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:16:31 +0000

A recent spike of COVID cases in China, solid trade surplus growth in December, and some personnel changes are all up on the docket this week. To get the latest on this, we’ll be on the line with our new Chief Representative in Shanghai, Melinda Xu.

Oxford Economics and USCBC: The US-China Economic Relationship
Learn more about our work on our website.

New MOFCOM rules on extraterritorial application of foreign laws

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 16:03:16 +0000

One big piece of news from China over the weekend was the announcement of new rules on extraterritorial application of foreign laws in China. These rules could possibly have significant impacts for US companies operating in the country, so to get an update on what we know, we’re on the line with Matt Margulies, our VP for China operations.

MOFCOM Publishes Rules to Counteract Extraterritorial Application of Foreign Laws
Learn more about USCBC on our website.

The EU-China agreement and a look at other market liberalizations

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 16:01:02 +0000

Welcome to 2021! Last year was certainly an incredibly busy one in US-China affairs and it’s a relatively safe bet that that won’t be changing in the coming year. So to start the year off, we’re checking in with our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang. This week, we chat about the recently finalized EU-China investment agreement and several different recent market liberalizations in China.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
Have a question or comment? Email me at ihutchinson@uschina.org.

Is the BRI debt trap diplomacy? And how can the US compete with it?

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 16:22:57 +0000

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China’s globe-spanning plan for infrastructure construction and development. The Chinese government describes it as a effort “to enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future together.” More skeptical voices would describe it as a textbook exercise in debt trap diplomacy, straddling developing countries with unsustainable debt to create leverage over them. The truth is likely somewhere in between, says Jonathan Hillman, director of the Reconnecting Asia Project at CSIS. In this episode, we chat with Hillman about the details of BRI, possibilities for reform, and ways that the United States and its allies can compete with it.

Jonathan Hillman’s recent book: The Emperor’s New Road: China and the Project of the Century
Reconnecting Asia’s interactive BRI tracker
Read more articles about the economic aspects of the US-China relationship at the China Business Review.

A broad recovery in China means shipping challenges for some companies

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 19:10:14 +0000

With the news today that China’s economic numbers are showing a continued broad recovery, we’re on the line with our Shanghai Director Owen Haacke to get the latest on-the-ground insights from China and updates on some of the challenges companies are facing.

Learn more about USCBC’s work on our website.

The World Internet Conference and Shanghai CHOPS

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 18:26:08 +0000

Our Shanghai office recently wrapped up its annual China Operations Conference, or CHOPS, and our Beijing director Lipei Zhang was there for a visit. On the way, she also attended the World Internet Conference, so this week we’re on the line with her to get the details from the trip.

A look at export data on the congressional district level

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 18:48:00 +0000

Over the past two years, tariffs and uncertainty in the business environment have prompted precipitous declines in US exports to China. This week, we walk through some of the numbers in our recently released District Export Report.

USCBC: 2020 District Export Report
USCBC: Full districts data document

What will China policy look like under a Biden administration?

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 14:51:00 +0000

Even though China policy isn’t going to be the biggest issue on the new administration’s plate, it’s still a deeply important one. This week, we chat with USCBC Senior Vice President Jake Parker about the potential future for China policy under the Biden administration.

Learn more about USCBC on our website
Read more: The Road Ahead for China Policy Under a Biden Administration

What Trump and Biden offer on China

Erin Slawson — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 14:48:00 +0000

With the election getting down to the wire, Anna Ashton, senior director of government affairs at the US-China Business Council, gives us her quick take on the Republican and Democratic approaches to addressing concerns related to China.

Further reading:

Main takeaways from the Fifth Plenum

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 14:41:00 +0000

China’s Communist Party Central Committee has recently wrapped up its Fifth Plenum. To dive into the outcomes from the meeting and what to watch, we’re on the line with our Shanghai director, Owen Haacke.

More coverage: China Releases Priorities for the Next Five-Year Plan at Annual Party Meeting
Learn more about USCBC on our website.
Questions? Comments? Reach out to me at ihutchinson@uschina.org!

A recap of USCBC’s first virtual board trip

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 14:39:00 +0000

Though it would normally be held in person, this year’s board trip to China was held virtually. Nonetheless, it was a productive exchange and we’re on the line with our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang, to get a readout on what was discussed.

Learn more about USCBC on our website.

Import expos and export controls

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 14:22:00 +0000

China is currently gearing up for its major import expo next month, which will take place under new COVID-19 protocols. In the meantime, the United States updated export controls that might cause some trouble for US companies that work with Huawei. To get a read on this and more, we’re on the line with our director in Shanghai, Owen Haacke.

A busy month ahead for the Chinese government

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 15:32:17 +0000

After the Golden Week holiday in China, people are returning to the office and getting back to work, including our own office in Beijing. This week, we get a catchup from our director in the capital, Lipei Zhang.

Learn more about USCBC on our website.
Got questions, comments, concerns? Email me at ihutchinson@uschina.org.

The national security “toolbox” to counter China

Erin Slawson — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 13:02:41 +0000

National security concerns have come to the forefront of US policy toward China, including when it comes to issues formerly considered to be confined to the trade sphere. Ajay Kuntamukkala, Partner at Hogan Lovells, walks us through what tools the United States has at its disposal to address what it sees as threats from China.

What do we know about the Unreliable Entity List?

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 14:55:34 +0000

Over the weekend, China’s Ministry of Commerce published the final Provisions on the Unreliable Entity List, laying out the details of how companies might end up on the list and what it would mean if they do. To get an update on this, we’re on the line with our director in Shanghai, Owen Haacke.

Updates to China’s export controls and trade secret protections

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 16:16:26 +0000

The past week or so has had a few major developments, including updates to China’s export control catalogue, new regulations on trade secret protections, and a new China-led initiative on global data security. For the update on this and more, we’re on the line with our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Learn more about our work on our website.

How important are Chinese students to the US education system?

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 20:17:01 +0000

Chinese students in the United States contribute around $15 billion a year to the American economy. But Chinese students now face a range of hurdles, from visa restrictions to currency fluctuations to the fallout of increased bilateral tensions. We speak with Peggy Blumenthal, an expert at the Institute of International Education, about the importance of Chinese students in the United States.

Read more articles about the US-China relationship’s business and economic aspects in the China Business Review.
Learn more about USCBC’s work on our website.

Tariff exclusions, social credit, and expensive flights to China

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 14:22:23 +0000

This week’s catchup is a bit of a mixed bag, with some news on tariff exclusions, a look at some standardization of China’s social credit system, and a status update on air travel to China. We get the details from our director in Shanghai, Owen Haacke.

Relevant links:

USCBC: The New Push to Refine China’s Social Credit System
Learn more on our website.

What came out of the Phase One deal review?

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 14:45:02 +0000

After some confusion about whether talks were going to happen at all, Liu He, Robert Lighthizer, and Steve Mnuchin held a call about the Phase One deal. To get an update on this and the response from the Chinese side, we’re on the line with our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Relevant Links

Our Phase One Commitment Tracker
Learn more on our website.

What’s going on with the Phase One deal?

Erin Slawson — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 23:45:50 +0000

Hot and cold rhetoric surrounding the Phase One deal has sent mixed signals about the future of the US-China trade relationship. With Phase One now officially in effect for six months, I spoke with our own USCBC analysts Jack Kamensky, Pearson Goodman, and Alison Schonberg to get a read on whether China has been living up to its commitments or not. Claire Reade, senior counsel at Arnold & Porter and former assistant USTR for China affairs, also gives her take on the strongest and weakest parts of the agreement, as well as what industry can do to withstand political headwinds.

Further reading:

Claire Reade: Trade May Still Be the Ballast in US-China Relations—At Least for Now (CSIS)
Alison Schonberg: Phase One Purchases Lag as Trade Slowly Bounces Back from COVID-19
USCBC: Phase One Commitment Tracker

What would a WeChat ban mean for US company operations?

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 15:17:39 +0000

This week, two major news headlines are in focus—the upcoming 14th Five-Year Plan, and a potential ban on WeChat. So, to get the download on both of these items, we’re on the line with our Shanghai director, Owen Haacke.

Got questions or comments? Send me a note!
Members can register for the upcoming call on WeChat here: Making Sense of a WeChat Ban: Compliance and Technology Policy Perspectives

What role does China play in US politics?

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 18:36:20 +0000

From its role as a punching bag in the presidential race to it being the target of executive, legislative, and judicial actions, China looms large in American politics. In 2020, that presence is overwhelmingly a negative one. Recent polling from Pew shows that 73% of Americans hold an unfavorable view of China, compared to a meager 22% who hold a positive view. China hasn’t always been such a lightning rod in US politics. To understand how we got to this moment and what we can expect going forward, we speak with Sheena Chestnut Greitens, an Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and Anna Ashton, Senior Director of Government Affairs at the US-China Business Council.

Relevant links

Clips of Christopher Wray: China’s Attempt to Influence US Institutions: A Conversation with FBI Director Christopher Wray
Clips of Mike Pompeo: Communist China and the Free World’s Future
Theme music by Tours, under CC BY 3.0
Other music by Podington Bear under CC BY-NC 3.0

A look at China’s new dual circulation strategy

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:47:07 +0000

Although a private measure of China’s factory activity jumped last month to its highest level since 2011, the Chinese economy is still dealing with the fallout from COVID-19. This is at least in part due to depressed global demand, curtailing the abilities of export-oriented Chinese businesses to regain their footing. To get an update on the government’s response and more, this week we’re on the line with our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Relevant links

Learn more on our website.
Read the latest article in our digital magazine: Design Patents vs. Trade Dress: Protecting IP in China

What do consulate closures mean for businesses?

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 18:47:11 +0000

The big story of the past week in US-China relations has been the tit for tat shuttering of consulates in Houston and Chengdu. So, to get the latest on what the closures mean for the business community and the bilateral relationship as a whole, we’re going to chat with our Shanghai Director, Owen Haacke.

Relevant links:

China Business Review: As China Emerges from COVID-19, US Companies Invest to Compete
China Business Minute: Bonus: What to expect if you’re returning to China

How is China coping with massive flooding?

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 15:12:30 +0000

Although there has been some coverage in US media about the floods currently wreaking havoc in China, we figured it would be useful to get some on-the-ground perspective and info from our director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Relevant links:

Bonus: What to expect if you’re returning to China

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 18:48:30 +0000

At this point, employees of a range of companies are trying to get back to China for work. But that process is fairly involved, especially if you’re not a Chinese national. Our Vice President for China Operations Matt Margulies recently returned to China with his family, and we figured it’d be worth a chat with him to see how he’s doing, and hear what the experience was like.

Need to chat? Get in touch.

China revises foreign investment negative lists

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 19:18:29 +0000

Last month, China’s National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Commerce released their annual update to China’s Negative List for Foreign Investment and Free Trade Zone Negative List. The national list formalized openings in financial services, as well as the automotive, agriculture, construction, and other industries and will take effect on July 23. This week, we chat with Owen Haacke, chief representative of our office in Shanghai.

Related Links:

Revised Negative List Formally Liberalizes Financial Services and Other Sectors
Learn more on our website.

Three important new draft laws released for comment

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 15:39:33 +0000

Last Friday, China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee released a spate of draft laws for public comment. Three of these laws are of particular interest to US companies operating in China: the second draft of the revised Patent Law, the second draft of the Export Control Law, and the first draft of the Data Security Law. This week, we chat with our Beijing director, Lipei Zhang, for a look at the three pieces of legislation.

Related links:

A look at China’s “new infrastructure” initiative

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 15:38:46 +0000

With a “new infrastructure” initiative in the works and some details on travel to and from China, we’ve got our Shanghai director, Owen Haacke, on the line for a quick roundup of what you need to know this week.

Relevant links:

USCBC: What We Know About China’s “New Infrastructure” Initiative So Far
Have a question? Reach out to us.
Learn more on our website.

Did the meeting between Mike Pompeo and Yang Jiechi yield results?

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 14:29:09 +0000

Did anything come out of the meeting between Mike Pompeo and Yang Jiechi? For this, and an update on the latest COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing, we get the latest from our director there, Lipei Zhang.

Relevant links:

Stay up to date with the latest on our website.
Read our newly released Chinese Agencies Priorities Report!

A planned US-China meeting and new COVID-19 cases in Beijing

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 19:47:55 +0000

This week, we’re expecting to see a meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi. Trade isn’t expected to be a topic of conversation, but some other issues that are affecting companies possibly will. For the latest on this and some other topics, we get the latest from our Shanghai director, Owen Haacke.

Hainan free trade port and a US-China relations update

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 18:27:28 +0000

Plans for the new Hainan free trade port have been all over Chinese state media lately, so this week we get the latest from our Beijing director, Lipei Zhang, on the plans for the free trade zone.

Relevant links

USCBC: China’s Unreliable Entity List: What’s Next?
Learn more about our work on our website.

The future of Hong Kong

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 15:59:56 +0000

Beijing’s decision to propose a new national security law for Hong Kong has reignited debates over the city’s future. We figured two people who would be able to provide some insight are James McGregor, Chairman of APCO Worldwide, and Mark Clifford, Executive Director of the Asia Business Council. In a fairly wide-ranging conversation, James and Mark touch on the legal, political, and economic aspects of the national security law and the future of Hong Kong.

Read more articles on the China Business Review
USCBC: Four Implications of Revoking Hong Kong’s Special Status with the United States

The NPC closes and Hainan free trade plan released

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 14:58:55 +0000

As the National People’s Congress came to a close last week, the main point of attention was the national security legislation on Hong Kong. For the latest on that, as well as a look at some current supply chain issues and new plans for the Hainan free trade area, we talk with our Shanghai director, Owen Haacke.

China’s approach to post-outbreak stimulus

Erin Slawson — Thu, 28 May 2020 16:26:26 +0000

The road to economic recovery after COVID-19 will look quite different for China compared to its response during the last global financial crisis. Houze Song is a research fellow at the Paulson Institute’s think tank, MacroPolo. He characterizes China’s approach so far as “relief first, stimulus second.”

Read more articles on the US-China relationship on the China Business Review.

A look at the latest from the NPC

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 27 May 2020 15:41:19 +0000

At the moment, the National People’s Congress is working its way through the legislative session, so we’re getting the latest from Lipei Zhang, our Beijing director, on the meeting.

Relevant links:

USCBC: China Abandons GDP Growth Target, Promises Continued Stimulus and Foreign Investment Liberalization
USCBC President Craig Allen: The Road Ahead: Anticipating Challenges in the US-China Bilateral Relationship
Find more analysis on our website.

The Commerce Department has Huawei back in its sights

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 18 May 2020 19:41:40 +0000

On May 15, the US Commerce Department announced new rules that will restrict Huawei and its suppliers from using American inputs. The changes have major implications for both Huawei itself and US companies as well. We also talk about the latest updates in travel restrictions and what new trade data tells us about Phase One. This week, it’s the latest from our Shanghai director, Owen Haacke.

Relevant links:

Learn more about the work USCBC does on our website.
Read articles about the US-China relationship in our digital magazine, the China Business Review.
Have questions? Get in touch.

The status of Phase One and new tariff exemptions

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 12 May 2020 15:14:35 +0000

US-China relations have been making headlines lately, and not all for good reasons. Amid increasing tensions, we’ll see if we can find a few silver linings. This week, it’s the latest from our Beijing director, Lipei Zhang.

Relevant links

Need a hand? Get in touch!
Are you at a USCBC member company? Attend an online event.
Stay tuned to latest updates on our website.

China gears up for the National People’s Congress

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 04 May 2020 18:18:56 +0000

After a delay caused by COVID-19, China is getting ready for its major legislative session for the year, the National People’s Congress. To get the latest, we talk with our Shanghai Director, Owen Haacke.

Relevant Links:

Need to get in touch? Find our contact info here.
Interested in China’s IP commitments? See the IP section of our Phase One Commitment Tracker here.
Stay tuned to our website for updates, or find us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to stay up to date.

What’s the latest on PPE exports from China?

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 16:01:55 +0000

Faulty testing kits, backlogged medical exports, and accusations of hoarding have been in the news lately in regards to China’s actions around PPE shipments. It can be difficult to sort out the relevant and accurate information, so this week, we’ve got our senior vice president Jake Parker on the line to give a quick overview of the situation.

Relevant links:

Got a question about PPE exports? Get in touch.
PPE Export Whitelist
MOFCOM/GAC/SAMR Notice No. 12 on optimizing regulations on PPE exports

China’s first quarter growth contracted 6.8% from last year

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 14:15:27 +0000

Official economic data came out last Friday and the news was not good. The combined effects of COVID-19, and declines in exports, consumer retail, and investment caused a 6.8% GDP decline in the first quarter. We talk with our Director in Shanghai, Owen Haacke, about the economic numbers, forecasts for 2020 overall, and the impacts on member companies.

Links:

Learn more about USCBC on our website.
Read our 2020 State Exports Report.

Using trade data to understand impacts on supply chains

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 14:54:22 +0000

Between the combined effects of US and Chinese tariffs, and the economic fallout of COVID-19, company supply chains are facing historic challenges. But are those supply chains moving? The recently released Reshoring Index from Kearney, a management consulting firm, is trying to answer that question by analyzing trade flows. Their report showed a sharp decline in manufacturing imports from China. We spoke with Patrick Van den Bossche, one of the report’s authors, about what the paper tells us about global supply chains.

Links:

Read the The Reshoring Index from Kearney.
Learn more about USCBC on our website.
Read more articles about the US-China relationship’s business and economic aspects on the China Business Review.

It could be counterintuitive to block PPE exports.

Erin Slawson — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 21:51:51 +0000

Since COVID-19 began hitting hard in the United States, Congress has already proposed several pieces of legislation that target China. At the same time, China, the United States, and several other countries have erected barriers to the trade of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is critical in containing the virus’ spread. Senior Director of Government Affairs at the US-China Business Council Anna Ashton breaks down what this means for the US-China relationship and whether there is any merit to the PPE argument.

What it’s like out and about in Beijing

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 15:21:07 +0000

Many provinces and cities in China have started to loosen restrictions on going outside for residents, though lots of people are still wary of heading back into public spaces. This week, we chat with our Beijing director about her experience as the city opens back up. We also cover new regulations about quarantine measures for visitors to Beijing and new policy on medical product exports.

Relevant Links

Need to get in touch? Find us here.
Find our comment letters to the US and Chinese governments here.
As always, our latest news and analysis is on our website.

Factories are back online, but global demand is still feeble

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 14:36:45 +0000

Just as Chinese manufacturers are coming back online, the economic downturn of the rest of the global economy is tanking demand for those very factories. And as they come back online, what’s in store for environmental enforcement? This week, we get the latest from our Shanghai Director, Owen Haacke.

Relevant Links:

Interested in learning more about environmental enforcement challenges companies face? Environmental Compliance for US Companies in China
Want to read more about regulatory and legislative developments in China? China Market Intelligence
Looking for tracking on China’s Phase One commitments and the actions China has taken to fulfill them? Phase One Commitment Tracker
Need anything else? Get in touch! ihutchinson@uschina.org

Presidents Trump and Xi get on the phone and companies continue reopening

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 15:44:24 +0000

Some Chinese companies are opening back up, but the restarting of the economy isn’t the same for all industries. And after a week of US-China tensions, Presidents Trump and Xi got on the phone. This week, we get this and more from the head of our Beijing office, Lipei Zhang.

Learn more about our work on our website.

A business environment update and a note on work permits and visas

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 15:01:15 +0000

Need a business visa or work permit for China? We’ve got bad news for you, unfortunately. We’re also seeing new Chinese policies on investment around the foreign investment negative list. For this and more, we get the latest this week from our Director in Shanghai, Owen Haacke.

Want to offer suggestions on the negative list? Send Owen a note.
Listen to a personal experience of navigating the process of returning to China: What to expect if you’re headed back to China.

What to expect if you’re headed back to China

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 20:32:04 +0000

As the COVID-19 situation in China has begun to stabilize, some people are considering heading back to China. What does that process look like? We wanted to get a more human perspective of what it can be like, so we gave Chris Miller a call. He’s a business advisory services manager working in our Shanghai office and he recently flew back to China from the US.

His personal experience adds some interesting color to the story of what returning to China is like. Obviously, regulations are changing rapidly and what was true for him might not necessarily be true for travelers today, but his story still provides the outlines of what one might expect.

Read more articles on the business and economic aspects of the US-China relationship on the China Business Review.

China’s economic numbers paint a bleak picture

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 17:11:17 +0000

China has now set mandatory group quarantines for incoming travelers, amid fears of a resurgence of COVID-19 from imported cases. This comes alongside dire economic numbers for the first two months of the year. This week, we get the latest from our Deputy Director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Relevant links:

USCBC: Phase One Commitment Tracker
Got comments or questions? Contact me! My email is ihutchinson@uschina.org.

New quarantine measures and a meeting with the Shanghai Vice Mayor

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 16:06:52 +0000

With new quarantine rules in China for travelers coming through certain countries, you may want to double check your itineraries before heading out. Our Shanghai office also held a meeting with the city’s Vice Mayor and a new draft policy might allow foreigners to apply for permanent residency.

This week we’re on the line with our Chief Representative in Shanghai, Owen Haacke.

Show Notes:

You can always learn more on our website.
If you’re interested in submitting comments on the draft legislation on permanent residency, get in touch with Owen at ohaacke@uschina.org.cn.

Companies keep the wolf from the door amid layoffs and cratering sales

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 19:27:26 +0000

New data and stricter measures for travelers coming to Beijing are filling in the picture of the economic impact of COVID19 in China. The Caixin/Markit services purchasing managers’ index fell to 26.5 in February, down from 51.8 in January. Simultaneously, the auto industry has suffered an 80% decline in sales in February.

With that as the backdrop, we’re on the line this week with Lipei Zhang, our deputy director in Beijing.

Our music is by Podington Bear under a CC BY-NC 3.0 license.

What’s new on the Hill?

Erin Slawson — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 20:05:27 +0000

What is behind the uptick in legislation related to China? More than 252 proposals in the 116th Congress so far, to be exact. Anna Ashton, senior director of government affairs at the US-China Business Council, provides a glimpse into the forces driving China policy in Congress.

Read more articles about the US-China relationship in our digital magazine.

Our theme music is from Ryan Andersen under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Other music in the episode is by Podington Bear under a CC BY-NC 3.0 license.

A return to normalcy? Probably not any time soon.

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 16:11:58 +0000

Coronavirus isn’t going away any time soon, so we shouldn’t be expecting a return to the status quo in China just yet. As recorded cases of COVID-19 have continued spreading outside of China, from South Korea to Italy, companies are continuing to deal with the impacts of the virus. This week, we get the roundup from our Chief Representative in Shanghai, Owen Haacke.

Related resources:

USCBC: Coronavirus Information Center
China Business Review Podcast: “Light at the end of the tunnel” may be coming for virus-stricken China
USCBC: COVID-19: Updates on Response Efforts at the Central and Local Level

“Light at the end of the tunnel” may be coming for virus-stricken China

Erin Slawson — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 20:51:20 +0000

As the number of deaths from the novel coronavirus reaches the 2,000s, what does the future look like for China and the rest of the world? Is the turning point for the infection rate around the corner? This week, we speak with Dr. Yanzhong Huang, Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The China Business Review Podcast is a companion to our digital magazine of the same name. Read more articles about business, economics, and the US-China relationship on the China Business Review.

Our music is by Podington Bear under (CC BY-NC 3.0).

Latest on coronavirus and Phase One implementation

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 16:08:38 +0000

Coronavirus remains a major point of concern and we’re starting to a form a picture of the implementation of the Phase One agreement. This week, we get the latest from our Deputy Director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang!

Be sure to check out our Coronavirus Information Center, we’re keeping it continuously updated with new information.

If you have any questions about the podcast or how USCBC can help your company, shoot me a note at ihutchinson@uschina.org!

Latest news on coronavirus and tariff reductions

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 18:51:26 +0000

With some offices returning to work this week and China announcing the reduction of some tariffs, there’s plenty of ground to cover. This week, we get the roundup from Owen Haacke, our Chief Representative in Shanghai.

Relevant Links:

Coronavirus:

Tariff reductions:

Coronavirus impact update from Beijing

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 16:45:44 +0000

This week has seen the number of coronavirus cases rise to 20,000, the completion of a new 1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan, and contributions and donations from a number of companies to help fight the virus. We get the latest on the ground from our Deputy Director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang.

Learn more about how to help fight coronavirus with donations of money or supplies here: How to Help Fight Coronavirus
Learn more about how the coronavirus has impacted business operations here: Grappling with Wuhan Coronavirus: Impacts on USCBC Members
If you have other questions about the coronavirus or other issues, contact us.

A look at the impact of coronavirus

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 21:13:01 +0000

As the novel coronavirus affects communities in Wuhan and the rest of China, we take a few minutes to speak with Matt Margulies, our Vice President for China Operations about the logistical and business impacts of the virus. USCBC is not a resource for any medical or epidemiological information on the virus and nothing in this episode should be taken as such.

USCBC is also helping to organize donations of medical supplies for hospitals in Wuhan and other locations in China. If you or your company wish to aid in this endeavor, please send our Digital Editor Ian Hutchinson an email at ihutchinson@uschina.org and we will connect you with a group that’s organizing the effort.

Learn more about USCBC on our website.

A more detailed look at the text of Phase One

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 15:52:21 +0000

After a signing ceremony at the White House with President Trump and Vice Premier Liu He, the text of the Phase One trade deal was released. We chat with our Shanghai Chief Representative, Owen Haacke to have a look at what’s in the text and what it means for business.

Relevant links:

USCBC: Analysis of Phase One Trade Agreement
USCBC: USCBC Statement on Phase One Deal Signing

Signing the trade deal and looking forward to what’s next

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 17:01:00 +0000

This week, US and Chinese negotiators are scheduled to sign the “phase one” trade deal that’s been in the works for months. Once the ink is dried, what’s next for US-China bilateral relations? Where do we go from here?

This week, we get the latest from our Deputy Director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang!

To get the latest updates from USCBC, check our website. Also be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for up-to-the-minute news and alerts!

The latest on the trade deal and forecasting 2020

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 16:24:08 +0000

As the new year arrives, what are the key areas to watch in China? This week, we have a special episode. First, we get the latest from Owen Haacke on the trade deal and other news, then we take a look at the year ahead, with analysis from Angela Deng and Matt Margulies. Some major places to track are going to be implementation of the Foreign Investment Law, China’s efforts to improve the environment for intellectual property rights, and the further development of the corporate social credit system.

This episode was made possible through the excellent research of Yan Yu, Banny Wang, and Angela Deng, all managers at the US-China Business Council.

Thank you for listening to the show this year! We’ve greatly enjoyed making this podcast in 2019 and we’re looking forward to continuing it in 2020. If you get value from it, please be sure to leave us a rating and review where you listen, it’s the biggest thing you can do to help us grow our audience.

Relevant Links:

USCBC: Forecasting 2020: Areas to Monitor for China’s Commitment to Reform
Read more analysis on USCBC’s website

What does recent Hong Kong legislation tell us about the future of US-China relations?

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 15:46:35 +0000

The relationship between the United States and Hong Kong is in a period of increased scrutiny. The passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act has brought the trajectory of the US relationship with Hong Kong into focus within the context of broader questions about the US-China relationship. This week, we take a deep dive into what we know about recent Hong Kong-related legislation, what the political implications are, and what the business impacts look like.

Guests:

Shelley Su: Shelley is a senior consultant at Crowell & Moring International, where she advises trade associations and leaders of major American companies operating in the Asia Pacific on US-China economic relations and US government relations strategies.

Andrew Blasi: Andrew is a director at Crowell & Moring International, where he guides the development and management of large-scale, multi-sectoral partnerships around the world. He supports collaboration between the public and private sector across a range of complex areas, such as ethical business practices, structural reform, and fostering innovation.

Chynna Hawes: Chynna is a manager with USCBC Government Affairs working on congressional outreach and legislative tracking. Prior to joining USCBC, Chynna worked in the communications industry in Shanghai, helping major multinationals and Fortune 500 companies promote and protect their reputations in the China market.

Useful resources:

Read more articles about the US-China relationship and pressing business issues on the China Business Review.
Learn more about Crowell & Moring International on their website.
Learn more about the US-China Business Council on our website.

What’s in the trade deal?

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 15:47:33 +0000

After months of negotiations, the United States and China have come to a preliminary deal. What all is in it? Reporting indicates that the deal is broken into seven chapters and covers a range of issues from intellectual property rights protections to agriculture.

This week, we get the latest from Lipei Zhang, USCBC’s Deputy Director in Beijing.

Can we expect new tariffs on December 15?

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 14:38:41 +0000

Negotiators are still hashing out whether or not we’ll be seeing a new tranche of tariffs go into effect on the 15th, but both sides have been messaging progress. In a more weedsy segment, we also take a look at the Tendering and Bidding Law and some recently released taxation measures.

This week’s analysis comes courtesy of our Chief Representative in Shanghai, Owen Haacke.

Relevant Links:

USCBC Call for Comments on China’s Draft Revised Tendering and Bidding Law

How China’s reaction to the Hong Kong bill might impact a trade deal

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 16:21:18 +0000

After the passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, China responded by suspending visits of US warships to Hong Kong and imposing sanctions on several NGOs. Will these actions spill over into the trade negotiations?

We get the latest from Lipei Zhang, our Deputy Director in Beijing, though she’s actually in Washington, DC for our annual Gala this week!

Learn more on our website.

Talks continue and a look at intellectual property protection

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 15:35:12 +0000

Officials from both the US and China are holding out hope on the possibility of a ‘phase one’ deal, though the cancellation of the APEC summit has left a void about when and if state leaders might meet. Meanwhile, a new document from the State Council indicates that stiffer penalties are coming for intellectual property rights infringements.

We speak with Owen Haacke, USCBC’s Chief Representative in Shanghai to get the roundup on this and more.

As always, there is exclusive, in-depth coverage for USCBC members on our website.

Negotiations update and legislation on China’s business environment

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 15:26:42 +0000

Has there been any progress towards a trade deal? This week, we chat with Lipei Zhang, USCBC’s Deputy Director in Beijing. First we get the latest on US-China negotiations and then we turn to some legislative updates from China on the business environment.

Relevant links:

USCBC 2019 Member Survey
USCBC Comments on MOJ’s FIL Draft Implementing Regulations
There’s always new analysis on our website!

Bonus: Matt Margulies on the highlights from CHOPS

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 19:43:52 +0000

After the conclusion of our annual China Operations Conference (CHOPS) in Shanghai, we took a few minutes to chat with Matt Margulies, USCBC’s VP for China Operations. The main takeaways were on positive company sentiment towards the China market, the social credit system, and the structural nature of challenges to China’s economy.

Learn more about USCBC on our website. Beyond our annual conferences, we host a range of other events. Learn about the benefits of membership.

Trade negotiations, CIIE, and our Shanghai China Operations Conference

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 16:05:54 +0000

Progress continues on a possible Phase One deal with talk of the US reducing tariffs and some goodwill gestures from the Chinese side. The China International Import Expo (CIIE) saw broader US participation this year and the opportunity for some USCBC engagement with local officials. Lastly, our Shanghai office wrapped up their annual China Operations Conference last Friday!

Owen Haacke, USCBC’s Chief Representative in Shanghai, drops us a line and fills us in on everything that happened last week in the world of the US-China business relationship!

What was the Fourth Plenum and does it matter?

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 16:39:03 +0000

After a year and half of waiting and speculating, China’s Central Committee wrapped up its fourth plenary session at the very end of last month. Once the secretive, closed-door meeting finished, the results were shared with the public through a communique and press conference. But what was in the text? What can we can learn from those documents? And what other details can we look for to learn more about concrete implementation processes?

To answer these questions, we turned to Mingda Qiu, who is a research associate with the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Resources:

Five Takeaways from China’s Fourth Plenum (China Business Review)
Red Flags: Why Was China’s Fourth Plenum Delayed? (CSIS)
China Business Review (there’s always more to read here!)

Our music is by Ryan Andersen

The Fourth Plenum wrapup and CIIE

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 15:21:15 +0000

Last week, China’s Fourth Plenum, a meeting of the Central Committee of the CCP, came to a conclusion. This has been the first plenum since February of last year, a longer gap than usual. To get the latest, we go to Lipei Zhang, our Deputy Director in Beijing, who has the summary of what happened. After that, we check in on what to expect as the second China International Import Expo starts up.

Relevant links:

USCBC’s website
Our digital magazine, the China Business Review

Progress on a Phase One deal, tariff exclusion requests, and the Fourth Plenum

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 15:21:52 +0000

There’s been some progress on a Phase One trade deal that could possibly be signed by Presidents Trump and Xi at the APEC Summit in Chile and USTR is accepting tariff exclusion requests for Chinese imports on List 4 A.

This week, we get the latest from Owen Haacke, our Shanghai chief representative who’s on the road in Huzhou at the moment. After covering the Phase One deal and USTR’s exclusion requests, we talk about the Fourth Plenum and some provincial engagement that USCBC President Craig Allen has been leading.

Relevant links:

Washington Update: Negotiations on Track, Mixed Messages from Pence, and USTR Accepts List 4 Tariff Exclusion Requests

Got any questions? Shoot me an email at ihutchinson@uschina.org!

The download from USCBC’s board trip to Beijing

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 14:26:40 +0000

Last week, USCBC’s Chairman and President led a delegation to Beijing to meet with a Premier Li Keqiang, other Chinese officials, and CEOs of major Chinese companies.

This week, Lipei Zhang has the wrapup of the event. After covering the highlights of the trip, we take a look at recent actions encouraging investment as well.

As always, learn more about our work on our website!

If you have any questions or comments on this podcast, feel free to reach out to me at ihutchinson@uschina.org.

Is it a deal? Is it not a deal? The latest on US-China talks

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 15:01:30 +0000

Last week, a Chinese delegation visited the US and there was talk of a “phase one” deal being struck, but some onlookers and participants are confused as to what exactly took place. What actually happened?

This week, we get the latest from Owen Haacke, USCBC’s Chief Representative in Shanghai, though he’s on the road in Beijing. First, we talk about the talks that finished up last week, then we take a look at the upcoming Import Expo’s second year in Shanghai, and then lastly, some updates on general aviation in China.

Learn more about USCBC on our website!

If you’re from a member company and have questions about any topic that’s pertinent to your business, please get in touch!

Why the fintech boom happened in China

Erin Slawson — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 15:39:49 +0000

China’s fintech firms are now expanding globally. But why and how did the fintech boom happen in China in the first place? As it turns out, it’s a lot more than QR codes. Martin Chorzempa, research fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics unpacks this and more.

Further reading:

Who Likes Facebook’s Libra Currency? Not the Chinese (Martin Chorzempa)
Fintech in China: What Lies Ahead (Knowledge@Wharton)
China Doesn’t Yet Have a Grip on P2P Lending Risks (Martin Chorzempa)

We’re off this week, so some reading and listening recommendations!

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 14:00:40 +0000

Hi there! Due to the Golden Week holiday in China and a few other scheduling items in our DC office, we’re going to be taking the week off. In the meantime, check out some of our other podcasts and publications, all of which are linked below!

Our other show, the China Business Review Podcast
Our digital magazine, the China Business Review
Members get more exclusive coverage on our website!

What are zombie firms?

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 13:22:11 +0000

From 2008 to 2018, China’s nonfinancial corporate debt grew from $4.56 trillion to nearly $20 trillion. The IMF estimates that zombie firms constituted almost one tenth of all nonfinancial corporate debt in China in 2016. To learn more about what zombie firms are and what we can learn from them, we spoke with Tianlei Huang, a research analyst at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

China’s 70th anniversary, bilateral updates, and some economic data

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 14:21:32 +0000

As China gets ready to kick off celebrations for its 70th anniversary, we catch up with Lipei Zhang, USCBC’s Deputy Director in Beijing. We get up to date on the latest in the bilateral relationship and take a look at China’s economy.

More coverage for USCBC members is, as always, on our website.

How did last week’s talks turn out?

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 15:15:49 +0000

After a freshly concluded round of trade talks here in Washington, we figured we’d take a short detour and get the view from the US this week. We chat with USCBC Senior Vice President Jake Parker about what happened during last week’s talks, why the Chinese visit to Montana and Nebraska was cancelled, and what we should be keeping an eye on in the coming weeks.

Exclusive coverage and analysis for USCBC members is always available on our website.

Have questions or feedback on the show? Shoot me an email! (ihutchinson@uschina.org) I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments!

Delayed tariffs, exemptions, and company sentiment

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 14:37:39 +0000

This week, Shanghai is on the line. We speak with USCBC’s Chief Representative in the city, Owen Haacke, to get up to speed on the latest developments. First, a note on tariff delays until October 15, then a quick look at some of the goods that have been exempted from Chinese tariffs, and lastly a roundup of company sentiment on the China market.

Read more about company sentiment in our latest Member Survey.

Learn more about USCBC on our website.

What is the corporate social credit system?

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 17:33:59 +0000

The social credit system is one of the more controversial and widely discussed topics in China coverage today. But how does this individual social credit system differ from the social credit system for companies? And how does it actually work? We talk with Angela Deng, a Manager of Business Advisory Services at the US-China Business Council to break down the corporate social credit system. Angela explains how the system works, the challenges China faces in completing and launching the system, and how companies should prepare for its rollout.

In-depth coverage for USCBC members: How China’s Social Credit System Will Impact Companies

Read more articles about every aspect of the US-China commercial relations on the China Business Review!

Our music is by Ryan Andersen.

Laying the groundwork for new talks and a China Development Forum download

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 14:42:10 +0000

This week, we have USCBC’s Deputy Director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang on the line. First up is the ever-evolving latest news on the bilateral relationship. What can we expect before scheduled trade talks in October? Then, a short highlight reel from the China Development Forum over the weekend!

Learn more about USCBC on our website.

As always, USCBC members get exclusive access to our research publications and industry-specific coverage. Not a member? Your company can learn more about shaping the world’s most important bilateral relationship here.

Tariffs, the social credit system, and local environmental enforcement

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 14:40:25 +0000

This week has been busy! Today, a somewhat longer than usual download from Owen Haacke, our Shanghai head. On the docket are the latest tariffs, updates on the social credit score system, provincial updates, new info on local environmental enforcement, and the upcoming Shanghai China Operations Conference!

Relevant links:

Overview of the social credit scoring system and some relevant policy documents: How China’s Social Credit System Will Impact Companies

Our environmental compliance benchmarking report: Environmental Compliance for US Companies in China

Our full Member Survey that Owen referenced: USCBC 2019 Member Survey

In Shanghai in November? Swing by the China Operations Conference on the 8th! Shanghai China Operations Conference

Learn more about USCBC on our website!

After a busy weekend, where do US-China relations stand?

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 14:19:24 +0000

After a busy weekend, we’re getting the latest view from Beijing on where we stand, from details on the new list of Chinese tariffs to Liu He’s comments on China’s growth and stability.

USCBC members can read more exclusive coverage on our website.

Latest US-China interactions and local government update

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 15:28:42 +0000

This week, we’re on the line with Owen Haacke, our Chief Representative in Shanghai. First we get the lowdown on the latest US-China interactions and tariffs, then we get a quick update on what’s new at the local government level in China.

As always, exclusive, in-depth coverage for USCBC members is available on our website.

What is 5G and why does it matter for the US and China?

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 17:32:25 +0000

Media narratives about 5G are often couched in the language of a race, or clouded by concerns of national security. But what exactly is 5G? To understand the terms of the debate we spoke with Naomi Wilson. Naomi is the Senior Director of Policy for Asia at the Information Technology Industry Council, a global advocacy and policy organization for companies in the innovation and technology space.

Read more about the US-China relationship on the China Business Review!

Details from the last negotiations and measures on the domestic business environment

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 14:32:13 +0000

This week, we talk with Lipei Zhang, USCBC’s Deputy Director in Beijing. First up, some on-the-ground details from the trade negotiations that went sour in Shanghai two weeks ago. After that, we talk about new measures aimed at improving the domestic business environment in China.

Learn more about our work on our website.

A new list of tariffs and a look at blacklists

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 05 Aug 2019 14:49:42 +0000

This week we’ve got Owen Haacke, our Chief Representative in Shanghai, on the line. First, we take a comprehensive look at the newly announced tariff list; what’s going on, what items are included, and what’s the impact? After that, we talk about a number of draft measures that create blacklists for companies that violate laws and regulations in certain industries. Be sure to check our website for our coverage of these blacklists in the coming days.

The domestic business environment and a look forward to CIIE

Ian Hutchinson — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 15:05:50 +0000

This week we talk with our Deputy Director in Beijing, Lipei Zhang. First, we cover policy movements on China’s domestic business environment, then we take a look forward at this year’s China International Import Expo (CIIE)!

Learn more about USCBC

Why Chinese investment has taken a global nosedive

Ian Hutchinson — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 13:41:46 +0000

Chinese investment in the United States has fallen from a peak of $46.5 billion in 2016 to only $5.4 billion in 2018. At the same time, Chinese investment and construction has also fallen on a global scale. What’s driving this and is it likely to continue for the foreseeable future? We talk with Derek Scissors, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of the China Global Investment Tracker.

Ongoing trade talks, China’s economy, and making the FIL a reality

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 15:03:53 +0000

This week, we’re headed to Shanghai. We’ve got Owen Haacke, USCBC’s Chief Representative in Shanghai, on the line. Three topics to cover; first the latest from US-China trade negotiations. Second, what to make of new data on the Chinese economy. Lastly, an update on Foreign Investment Law implementation.

Learn more about USCBC on our website!

NDRC’s business environment regulations, Zhong Shan, and unreliable entities list

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 15:53:35 +0000

This week, we’re catching the latest from Beijing, but from someone new! As our VP for China Operations Jake Parker is headed stateside, we have Lipei Zhang, USCBC’s Deputy Director in Beijing on the line.

First, we talk the NDRC’s new draft regulations on improving the business environment in China, then about Zhong Shan’s addition to the Chinese negotiation team, and lastly, some updates on the unreliable entities list.

Learn more about USCBC

Li Keqiang speech, Encryption Law, and trade negotiations update

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 15:57:11 +0000

We’re back on the line with Jake Parker in Beijing this week. First, we get the important parts from Li Keqiang’s recent speech, then we break down the classifications within the new draft of the Encryption Law, and last, we get some trade negotiation updates.

Learn more about USCBC on our website.

US-China trade negotiations are back on, but what’s next?

Erin Slawson — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 14:00:14 +0000

Further tariffs have been taken off of the table for now, but little is known about how renewed negotiations will play out. Wendy Cutler, Vice President of the Asia Society Policy Institute weighs in on negotiations and alternative strategies for addressing trade concerns vis-a-vis China.

Links:

Wendy Cutler: Strength in Numbers
China Business Review

The G20 and newly updated negative lists

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 16:28:28 +0000

After the G20 summit in Osaka, we catch up with Jake Parker, our Vice President for China Operations in Beijing. First we cover the major developments from the G20 that are most important for foreign companies, then we get into the weeds with several new negative lists released by the Chinese government following the meetings.

USCBC coverage of the new negative lists for members: China Announces Further Market Openings After Presidents Meet at G20

Are more market openings in financial services on the horizon?

Erin Slawson — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 20:21:28 +0000

Why is this sector seeing openings in China while almost every other industry is facing tariffs and other barriers? This week, we speak with Angela Deng, a manager of Government Affairs at the US-China Business Council. Angela also covers the financial services portfolio.

Read more about doing business in China in the China Business Review.

Our music is by Ryan Andersen.

The G20, USCBC’s local engagement, and foreign investment negative lists

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 17:47:19 +0000

This week we have our Shanghai Chief Owen Haacke on the line. First, we cover the upcoming G20 meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi, including Chinese government tone around the summit. Next, we get up to speed with USCBC’s recent outreach with local government in China. And last, we take a quick look at the pending updated foreign investment negative lists.

Learn more about USCBC here.

Cybersecurity regulation updates, Section 301 tariffs, and Craig Allen’s next trip to China

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 14:57:55 +0000

This week, we chat with Jake Parker in Beijing to get an update on a range of issues. Up first, a spate of drafts are available for comments on cybersecurity and personal information transfer and you can find links below. Up next, USCBC’s Senior Vice President Erin Ennis will be testifying on the fourth list of Section 301 tariffs and you can find her testimony below. Last but not least, we get an update on USCBC President Craig Allen’s upcoming trip to China.

Resources:

USCBC Call for Comments on Draft Rule on Cross-Border Transfer of Personal Information

USCBC Submission on Section 301 List 4

China Releases Series of Cybersecurity Measures Strengthening National Security Regime

If you want to share comments or request more information, please feel free to reach out to Jake Parker (jparker@uschina.org.cn) or Antonio Douglas (adouglas@uschina.org.cn)

Chynna Hawes on Intellectual Property Rights in China

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 18:51:46 +0000

Intellectual property rights and protections are a major issue in China, especially for foreign businesses. How have understandings of intellectual property in the country evolved over the decades?

To get an answer, we spoke with Chynna Hawes, who is a Business Advisory Manager at the US-China Business Council covering the intellectual property rights portfolio.

USCBC members can read industry updates on the topic here.

Learn more about the US-China Business Council’s work on its website.

Our music is by Ryan Andersen.

Trade talk update, section 301 hearings, and effects of the unreliable entities list

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 20:34:08 +0000

This week, due to some unforeseen technical difficulties, we skip the trip to China and stay in Washington instead. We have a quick catchup with Erin Ennis, the Senior Vice President of the US-China Business Council to get the latest on trade talks, Section 301 tariffs, and supply chain and operations issues around the unreliable entities list.

If you’re a member of USCBC and want to get in touch with us about how your operations have been affected by the unreliable entities list or any other issue, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

The Unreliable Entities List, a new white paper, and shifting supply chains

Ian Hutchinson — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 17:29:04 +0000

This week, USCBC’s VP for China Operations Jake Parker is in Washington, so we aren’t headed to China at all! While he’s in the office, we grabbed him to talk about the new Unreliable Entities List, a new white paper from the Ministry of Commerce, and how supply chains are shifting and other company strategies in China.

Learn about our work on our website!

If you like the podcast, please be sure to leave us a rating and review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify!

A shifting media environment, China’s trade retaliation, and Huawei implications

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 20 May 2019 16:11:52 +0000

This week we catch up with Jake Parker, our head of operations in Beijing. Three main topics on the table; a negative change in tone in Chinese state media, Beijing’s response to the new list of tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese imports, and business fallout from Huawei’s new placement on the Entity List.

Additional in-depth analysis for USCBC members:

US Bans Sale of US Technology to Huawei, Likely to Hamper Trade Talks

USTR sets June 17 hearing on $300 billion list, while China digs in

China announces tariff retaliation and exclusion process, United States expected to release plan for more tariffs later today

Trade talks, impacts, and retaliation

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 13 May 2019 15:08:22 +0000

This week, we talk with Owen Haacke, USCBC’s head in Shanghai. First, we get an update on the trade talks between the US and China that closed last Friday, then we dig into some of the consequences–negative impacts on companies, what retaliation might look like, and what reactions we’ve seen in the past.

Links:

State Council notice on increased tariffs

US-China Business Council

CBIRC’s 12 measures, a tweet complicates trade talks, and the State Export Report

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 06 May 2019 15:02:19 +0000

This week we talk with our Beijing head and VP of China Operations, Jake Parker. First up, China’s banking and insurance regulator has 12 new measures on opening up the country’s financial sector. Next, the President has been tweeting, throwing ongoing trade talks into a state of uncertainty. Last but not least, be sure to check out USCBC’s State Export Report!

If your company is interested in more background on CBIRC’s new 12 measures, send us an email.

USCBC’s 2019 State Export Report

Business environment in China, potential presidential meeting, NPC amendments, and the Belt and Road Forum

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 13:49:59 +0000

This week we sit down with USCBC’s Shanghai chief Owen Haacke to talk about a range of issues. First up, some details on the business environment and USCBC’s engagement with provincial governments. Next up is the potential of a Trump-Xi meeting as trade talks continue. Looking towards the Chinese government, the NPC Standing Committee has approved some amendments on IP and trade secrets laws. Last but not least, the Belt and Road Forum.

Learn more about USCBC on our website!

First quarter GDP, enforcement mechanisms, and Foreign Investment Law followup

Ian Hutchinson — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 14:59:53 +0000

This week, we have a chat with Jake Parker, head of the Beijing office of USCBC. First on the docket is China’s Q1 economic data; why did growth slightly beat expectations? Next up is enforcement; in a final trade deal with China, what should we look for as positive signs for strong enforcement–or major red flags? Finally, the Foreign Investment Law is still on our radar, primarily for how it will be implemented. The NDRC has asked for member company input on implementing regulations and Jake gives an overview of what we have so far.

If your USCBC member company is interested in submitting comments on the Foreign Investment Law you can find a comment submission document here and can send it along to anyone on our staff at the office nearest to you. Find a list of contacts here!

Learn more about USCBC and its work on our website.

Podcast: USCBC meets with Zhejiang Governor, environmental enforcement, and the China Development Forum

Ian Hutchinson — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 14:35:01 +0000

This week, we catch up with Owen Haacke, our Chief Representative in Shanghai. The US-China Business Council led a delegation of its member companies to meet with the Governor of Zhejiang Province, Yuan Jiajun. Environmental enforcement has also been a big issue in the news lately, with the explosion at a chemical park in Jiangsu leading to increased inspections. Lastly, the recently concluded China Development Forum wraps up with talk of tax cuts and increased domestic consumption.