2022 China Business Conference

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Registration for the China Business Conference is now open!

AmCham China is pleased to invite you to join this year's virtual event, which is co-organized with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and will be held from March 9-11 and 14-15.

The China Business Conference is the premier forum in the United States for exchanging ideas on U.S.-China economic and commercial relations, and for helping to shape the bilateral policy agenda. Nearly 1,000 high-level corporate, government, and academic influencers attend the conference each year. Past speakers have included current and former Administration officials, CEOs and business leaders, and Members of Congress. At this year's conference, we anticipate strong participation from U.S. and Chinese business leaders, members of Congress, and leading experts on U.S.-China relations.

All sessions in this Conference are off-the-record and not open to the press

All times are listed in China Standard Time; schedule and topics subject to change.

Wednesday, March 9

Day 1: China's Political Economy

9:30-9:40 pm: Opening Remarks

Jeremie Waterman, President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce China Center
Al Beebe, President, American Chamber of Commerce in China

9:40-10:35 pm: The State of Foreign Business in China: Commerce, Regulation and Politics Amidst a Global Pandemic

Colm Rafferty, Chairman, American Chamber of Commerce in China
Joerg Wuttke, President, European Chamber of Commerce in China
Sean Stein, Chairman, American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai

10:35-11:30 pm: As Far as the Eye Can See: Looking Ahead to Xi's Third Term

Chris Johnson, President and CEO, China Strategies Group
Ling Li, Scholar of Chinese politics, University of Vienna
Joseph Torigian, Assistant Professor, School of International Service, American University

11:30-11:45 pm: Break

11:45-12:40 am: China's Changing Growth Model? New Trends in the Chinese Economy

Moderator: Lingling Wei, Chief China Correspondent, Wall Street Journal
David Hoffman, Senior Vice President, Asia and Managing Director, China Center for Economics & Business, The Conference Board
Zhu Ning, Professor of Finance and Deputy Dean, Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance and Deputy Dean, National Institute of Financial Research, Tsinghua University
Gerard DiPippo, Senior Fellow, Economics Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

12:40-1:35 am: A Changed World for Business: Navigating a New Geopolitics and Strains on the Global Economic System

Moderator: Myron Brilliant, Executive Vice President and Head of International Affairs Division, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Tom Donilon, Chairman, BlackRock Investment Institute; Former National Security Advisor
Susan Schwab, Professor Emerita, University of Maryland; Strategic Advisor of International Trade, Mayer Brown; Former U.S. Trade Representative

Thursday, March 10

Day 2: Strategic Competition and Its Impact on Business

9:30-10:30 pm: The Great Squeeze: Coercion, Extraterritoriality and Implications for Foreign Companies

Moderator:Bonnie Glaser, Director, Asia Program, German Marshall Fund
Karen Sutter, Asian Trade and Finance Specialist, Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Jonathan Fritz, Chief of Staff to the Undersecretary for Economic, Growth, Energy and the Environment, U.S. State Department
Randy Phillips, Partner, The Mintz Group

10:30-11:30 pm: Unpacking China's Digital Fortress: What Does it Mean for Foreign Companies and Decoupling?

Chris Millward, President, USITO
Kendra Schaefer, Partner, Tech, Trivium China
Jim Lewis, Senior Vice President and Director, Strategic Technologies Program, CSIS
Joe Bao, President, Microsoft China

11:30-11:45 pm: Break

11:45-12:30 am: National Security Strategy, Technology and the Private Sector (Keynote)

Michele Fluornoy, Co-founder and Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors
Mac Thornberry, Former Chairman, House Armed Service Committee; Member of the United States House of Representatives

12:30-12:45 am: Break

12:45-1:30 am: View from the Senate: Congressional Perspectives on China

Moderator: Charles Freeman, Senior Vice President for Asia, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Friday, March 11

Day 3: The Changing U.S. Regulatory Landscape for Business with China

9:30-10:30 pm: Lessons from Huawei, Working with Allies and Partners, and the Future of U.S. Export Control Policy Toward China

Cordell Hull, Principal, WestExec Advisors
Peter Lichtenbaum, Partner, Covington & Burling
Jimmy Goodrich, Vice President, Global Policy, Semiconductor Industry Association

10:30-11:30 pm: The Investment Conundrum: From FIRRMA to Outbound Regulation?

Moderator: John Murphy, Senior Vice President, International Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Peter Harrell, Senior Director, International Economics and Competitiveness, National Security Council
David Fagan, Partner, Covington & Burling
David Hanke, Partner, Arent Fox
Emily Kilcrease, Senior Fellow and Director, Energy, Economics and Security Program, Center for a New American Security

11:30-11:45 pm: Break

11:45-12:45 am: The Current and Future Role of China Sanctions and Their Impact on American Business

Moderator: Stephanie Segal, Senior Associate, Economics Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Ivan Kanapathy, Vice President, Beacon Global Strategies
Jim Mullinax, Deputy Director for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Division, Trade Policy and Negotiations, Intellectual Property Enforcement, Department of State

12:45-1:00 am: Break

1:00-2:00 am: A Conversation with Andy Browne

Moderator: Jim McGregor, Chairman, Greater China, APCO
Andy Browne, Editorial Director, Bloomberg New Economy Forum, and NBC Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Commentator

Monday, March 14 (daylight savingsspring forward)

Day 4: Next Steps in the Biden Administration's China Policy

8:30-9:30 pm: The Three Cs: Now What?

Moderator: Jeremie Waterman, President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce China Center
Wendy Cutler, Vice President, Asia Society Policy Institute
Evan Medeiros, The Penner Family Chain, Asia Studies in the School of Foreign Service and the Cling Family Distinguished Fellow in U.S.- China Studies
Derek Scissors, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

9:30-10:15 pm: Old Tools, New Tools, and The Future of Commercial Relations with China

Moderator: Bob Davis, former Senior Editor, WSJ
Charlene Barshefsky,Chair, Parkside Global Advisors; former U.S. Trade Representative
Robert O'Brien, Chairman, American Global Strategies; former National Security Advisor

10:30-11:30pm: Break

11:30-12:30pm: View from the Senate: Congressional Perspectives on China

Moderator: Charles Freeman, Senior Vice President for Asia, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Hon. Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senator from Alaska
Hon. Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Senator from Maryland

Tuesday, March 15

Day 5: Allies and Partners, Supply Chains and the View from the Senate

7:00-8:00 am: Exploringthe Cooperative Agenda: The Future of Climate and Sustainability Cooperation

Weiming Xiang, President, China, GE
Junfeng Li, Dean of Carbon Neutral Research Institute/ Chairman of Vision Carbon Neutrality Fund, Sequoia Capital
Ting Li, Regional Managing Director, Rocky Mountain Institute

8:30-9:30 pm: Forging Impactful Alliances Among Allies and Partners: Hope vs. Reality

Moderator: Tim Stratford, Managing Partner, Covington & Burling Beijing Office
Jennifer Harris, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for International Economics & Labor, National Security Council and National Economic Council
Kevin Wolf, Partner, Akin Gump
Hirobumi Kayama, Director, Security Trade Control Policy and Economic Security, METI
Peter Sandler, Director for Enforcement, Market Access, SMEs, Legal Affairs and Technology, EU Commission

Speakers

Joe Bao

CEO of Microsoft (China) Co., Ltd.

Charlene Barshefsky

Chair at Parkside Global Advisors

Alan Beebe

President at AmCham China

Sean Stein

Senior Advisor at Covington & Burling LLP; Former U.S. Consul General in Shanghai

Jeremie Waterman

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Andy Browne

Editorial Director, Bloomberg New Economy Forum, and NBC Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Commentator

Wendy Cutler

Vice President at Asia Society Policy Institute

Bob Davis

Senior Editor at The Wall Street Journal

Gerard DiPippo

Senior Fellow at CSIS

David Fagan

Partner at Covington & Burling LLP Beijing Representative Office

Michèle Flournoy

Co-founder and Managing Partner of WestExec

Charles Freeman

Senior Vice President for Asia at US Chamber of Commerce

Jonathan Fritz

Chief of Staff to the Undersecretary for Economic, Growth, Energy and the Environment at U.S. Department of State

Bonnie Glaser

Director, Asia Program of German Marshall Fund

David Hanke

Partner at Arent Fox

Peter Harrell

Senior Director, International Economics and Competitiveness of National Security Council

David Hoffman

Senior Vice President Asia and Managing Director of the China Center for Economics & Business at The Conference Board Inc. Beijing Representative Office

Cordell Hull

Principal at WestExec Advisors

Benjamin Jacobs

Director of USChamber of Commerce

Chris Johnson

CEO of China strategies group

Ivan Kanapathy

Vice President at Beacon Global Strategies

Hirobumi Kayama

Director, Security Trade Control Policy and Economic Security of METI

Emily Kilcrease

Senior Fellow and Director, Energy, Economics and Security Program of Center for a New American Security

Jim Lewis

Senior Vice President and Director of CSIS

Ling Li

University of Vienna

Ting Li

Regional Managing Director of China Program at Rocky Mountain Institute (US) Beijing Representative Office

Peter Lichtenbaum

Partner at Covington & Burling LLP Beijing Representative Office

Evan Medeiros

Fellow at Georgetown University

Chris Millward

President at USITO

Jim Mullinax

Deputy Director for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Division at Department of State

John Murphy

Senior Vice President, International Policy at US Chamber of Commerce

Robert O’Brien

Chairman, American Global Strategies at former National Security Advisor

Randy Phillips

Partner at Mintz Group

Colm Rafferty

Chairman at AmCham China

Kendra Schaefer

Head of Digital Research at Triviumchina

Derek Scissors

Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute

Stephanie Segal

Senior Associate, Economics Program at CSIS

Karen Sutter

Asian Trade and Finance Specialist at Congressional Research Service (CRS)

Mac Thornbury

Former Chairman at House Armed Service Committee

Joseph Torigian

Assistant Professor at American University

Lingling Wei

Reporter at Wall Street Journal

John Whitcomb

Managing Director of Public Affairs at FTI Consulting

Kevin Wolf

Partner at Akingump LLP Beijing Office

Joerg Wuttke

President at EU Chamber of Commerce

Weiming Xiang

President at GE (China) Co., Ltd.

Ning ZHU

Joe Bao serves as President of Microsoft China. In this capacity, he leads Microsoft’s high performing enterprise sales, technical support, and global partner and consulting organizations, helping to enable the digital transformation of Microsoft’s vast network of customers and partners. Joe reports directly to Dr. HOU Yang, Corporate Vice President, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Greater China Region.

Joe is a 17-year veteran leader at Microsoft, bringing a rich blend of experience in operational areas of sales, marketing, and strategy at both Microsoft Corporate HQ and the Greater China Region. Prior to this role, Joe was the Chief Strategy Officer & VP of Global Partner Solutions for Greater China, responsible for developing the long-term strategy for Microsoft in the region, as well as leading a robust organization to support commercial customers, partners, developers, and digital communities in their innovation and transformation. Under his leadership, Microsoft has accelerated its growth, helping enterprise and commercial customers realize their cloud aspirations, and connecting the broad partner ecosystem with global opportunities.

Alan Beebe is President of the American Chamber of Commerce in China based in Beijing. He has over twenty-five years of business experience in Asia, including seventeen years in mainland China.

As President, Alan oversees all advocacy, programs, partnerships and insights provided by the Chamber to support the business growth of nearly 900 foreign corporations operating in China, including most of the U.S. Fortune 500. He leads major advocacy initiatives related to trade tariffs, market access, cybersecurity, Made in China 2025, China’s NGO law and structural imbalances in U.S. – China trade and investment.

In 2018, he launched AmCham China’s Technology & Innovation Initiative, focused on the business and policy implications of disruptive digital technologies - such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and cloud computing – for U.S. companies in China.

Prior to joining AmCham China, Alan held various senior executive positions in China with EY, IBM, and management consulting firms AT Kearney and PRTM. He also led a Beijing based start-up for five years, the China Greentech Initiative, which merged in 2014 with the Paulson Institute, founded by Hank Paulson.

Alan has advised a wide range of corporations and global investors on investing and operating in China. His clients have included global private equity firms, high technology companies, energy related companies, and major state-owned and private Chinese enterprises.

He holds a Master’s degree from Yale University in International Relations and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Computer Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the U.S. He is a Board of Advisor of the Yale Club of Beijing and in that capacity promotes academic and cultural exchanges between the U.S. and China. He is a fluent speaker of mandarin Chinese, and reads and writes Chinese. Alan was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska.

Sean Stein is a senior advisor in Covington’s Public Policy Practice Group and is currently serving as the Chairman of AmCham Shanghai. Prior to joining Covington, Sean served as the U.S. Consul General in Shanghai. He has over twenty years of diplomatic experience in Asia and has served in leadership positions in China, Washington, and the region. His insights informed policy making at the highest levels in Washington and he assisted dozens of U.S., Chinese, and international firms to develop strategies, manage risk, and identify opportunities for growth in response to the changing U.S.-China relationship.

Sean, a non-lawyer, is a key resource to businesses on issues related to political risk, public affairs, problem solving, and communications. He regularly assists companies facing acute or long-term issues to resolve them, often through discussions with U.S. and Chinese government officials. He is well placed to provide strategic advice to U.S. and international clients on issues relating to securing market access and protecting investments in China, assessing risk, navigating trade controls, sanctions, and supply chain restrictions, and resolving disputes and regulatory investigations.

Wendy Cutler joined the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) as vice president in November 2015 and serves as the managing director of the ASPI Washington, D.C. office. In these roles, she focuses on building ASPI’s presence in Washington, strengthening its outreach as a think tank, and on leading initiatives that address challenges related to trade and investment, as well as women’s empowerment in Asia. She joined ASPI following three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Most recently she served as acting deputy U.S. trade representative, working on a range of U.S. trade negotiations and initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. Cutler received her master’s degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and is a participant in the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues Research Group on Managing Strategic Competition.

Link for Mr. Davis's New Book -Superpower Showdown: How the Battle Between Trump and Xi Threatens a New Cold War: https://www.amazon.com/Superpower-Showdown-Battle-Between-Threatens/dp/0062953052

Bob Davis is a senior editor at the Wall Street Journal, where he covers economic issues out of the Washington D.C. bureau. He also writes about China, where he was posted from 2011 to 2014

In China he did his best to get out of Beijing and see China beyond the luxury stores and report on the changes that were remaking the country and global economy. Similarly, back in DC, he ranges beyond the Beltway to see how America is changing.

Before he decamped to Beijing, Mr. Davis ran economic coverage during the global financial crisis and, before that, reported on Washington’s response to the Asian financial crisis. From 2004 to 2007, he was the Journal's Latin America bureau chief, based in Washington, D.C., and covered the resurgence of populist politics. Under his direction, the bureau won the Overseas Press Club award for Latin America coverage in 2005.

He was the Wall Street Journal's Brussels bureau chief in 2001-2002 and was responsible for coverage of the European Union.

In 2000, he was awarded the Raymond Clapper award for Washington reporting for coverage of the White House negotiations with China over the World Trade Organization. A year earlier, he was part of a team of Journal reporters that won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for coverage of the Asian and Russian financial crisis.

Davis is co-author of the upcoming book, "Superpower Showdown."

Link for Mr. Davis's New Book -Superpower Showdown: How the Battle Between Trump and Xi Threatens a New Cold War: https://www.amazon.com/Superpower-Showdown-Battle-Between-Threatens/dp/0062953052

David Fagan co-chairs the firm’s top ranked practices on cross-border investment and national security matters, including reviews conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and data privacy and cybersecurity.

David has been recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers Global for his leading expertise on bet-the-company CFIUS matters and has received multiple accolades for his work in this area, including twice being named Dealmaker of the Year by The American Lawyer for 2016 and 2019. Clients laud him for providing “excellent advice,” “know[ing] everything there is to know about CFIUS” and being “extremely well regarded” by key regulators. (Chambers USA)

In the foreign investment and national security area, David is known for his work on matters requiring the mitigation of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) under applicable national industrial security regulations, including for many of the world’s leading aerospace and defense firms, private equity firms, and sovereign investors, as well as telecommunications transactions that undergo a public safety, law enforcement, and national security review by the group of agencies known as “Team Telecom.”

Charles Freeman, senior vice president for Asia at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has been helping companies navigate complex markets in the Asia-Pacific for 25 years. His career included senior stints in government, business, law, and academia, giving him a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the world’s most dynamic region.

During his government career, Freeman was assistant U.S. trade representative for China affairs, serving as principal U.S. trade negotiator with China. He also was legislative counsel in the U.S. Senate, where he concentrated on East Asian economic and trade issues.

After leaving government, Freeman consulted on Chinese and other Asia-focused business and policy matters for some of the world’s leading companies during market entry, expansion, and crises phases alike. He also served as PepsiCo’s vice president for global public policy and government affairs for Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Jonathan Fritz has been the Chief of Staff to Jose Fernandez, the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy & the Environment, since August, 2, 2021. Previously, he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian & Pacific Affairs responsible for China, Mongolia, and Taiwan. Before that, he was the Director for Bilateral & Regional Affairs in the State Department’s Office of International Communications & Information Policy. Prior to that he was posted at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, where he served alternately as Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs, Chief of Staff, acting Deputy Chief of Mission, and chargé d’ affaires. From 2010-2014 Jonathan headed the economic sections of our embassies in Canberra and Kabul. Before that, he worked on trade, investment, and IPR issues in our posts in Beijing, Mexico City, and Hong Kong. Jonathan also served in Washington as a special assistant to Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, as a trade negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and as a desk officer in the State Department’s Office of Chinese & Mongolian Affairs. Jonathan began his Foreign Service career with consular tours in China and Ecuador. Jonathan spent two years at the U.S. Air Force Academy and graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. and an M.A. in East Asian studies.

Bonnie S. Glaser is director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. She was previously senior adviser for Asia and the director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ms. Glaser is concomitantly a nonresident fellow with the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, and a senior associate with the Pacific Forum. For more than three decades, Ms. Glaser has worked at the intersection of Asia-Pacific geopolitics and U.S. policy. From 2008 to mid-2015, she was a senior adviser with the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies, and from 2003 to 2008, she was a senior associate in the CSIS International Security Program. Prior to joining CSIS, she served as a consultant for various U.S. government offices, including the Departments of Defense and State. Ms. Glaser has published widely in academic and policy journals, including the Washington Quarterly, China Quarterly, Asian Survey, International Security, Contemporary Southeast Asia, American Foreign Policy Interests, Far Eastern Economic Review, and Korean Journal of Defense Analysis, as well as in leading newspapers such as the New York Times and International Herald Tribune and in various edited volumes on Asian security. She is also a regular contributor to the Pacific Forum web journal Comparative Connections. She is currently a board member of the U.S. Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific and a member of both the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. She served as a member of the Defense Department’s Defense Policy Board China Panel in 1997. Ms. Glaser received her B.A. in political science from Boston University and her M.A. with concentrations in international economics and Chinese studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Bonnie Glaser has published the following recent publications, including Time for Collective Pushback against China’s Economic Coercion via CSIS, China’s Provocations Around Taiwan Aren’t a Crisis via Foreign Policy, Opinion: Don't Help China By Hyping Risk Of War Over Taiwan via NPR, Toward a Stronger U.S.-Taiwan Relationship via CSIS, We Stand with MERICS via CSIS, Protecting Democracy in an Age of Disinformation: Lessons from Taiwan via CSIS, and Neither China Nor the U.S. Wants a Hot War. Dialogue Can Help Separate Fact From Fiction via South China Morning Post.

Dave is a leading national security and public policy lawyer for domestic and foreign companies, especially those navigating the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and its expanded authority under the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA). While working on Capitol Hill, he was the staff architect of FIRRMA and the chief strategist behind its 2018 enactment. Beyond CFIUS, he also advises companies on US Government policy regarding supply chain and strategic technology issues, such as 5G telecommunications infrastructure and domestic semiconductor manufacturing, and helps clients interface effectively with federal agencies and Congress. Companies that end up tangled in the growing strategic competition between the US and China regularly seek his advice, and he is frequently invited to speak at industry, think tank, and academic conferences and quoted in major national news stories.

Peter Harrell is a former adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He is a leading expert on U.S. economic statecraft, including sanctions, export controls, trade policy, and other geoeconomic tools.

Harrell has published widely on topics including the use of economic coercion in the U.S.-China relationship, U.S. sanctions on Russia, Iran, and other countries, and the legal foundations of U.S. sanctions. He has testified in front of multiple congressional committees and his articles and op-eds have appeared in publications including the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Politico, Lawfare, and other leading outlets.

From 2012-2014, Mr. Harrell served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Counter Threat Finance and Sanctions in the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. From 2009 to 2012 he served on the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, where he was instrumental in developing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s economic statecraft agenda.

David Hoffman is Senior Vice President Asia and Managing Director of The Conference Board China Center for Economics & Business. In this role he is responsible for The Conference Board thought leadership, programming, and engagement in China and throughout Asia. He leads numerous research projects and outreach activities, oversees a team of researchers in China and New York, and coordinates a network of local and global advisors, research peers, and scholars who engage in or contribute to China Center research programs.

Prior to joining The Conference board, Hoffman led the Technology-InfoComms-Entertainment Advisory practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers in China for 21 years. Hoffman has spent 30 years as a resident analyst and business practitioner in China, and as a thought leader, strategy advisor, and top management consultant on a wide range of China and Asia business issues.

Former Acting Under Secretary for Industry and Security and Former General Counsel of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Cordell Hull served as the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, where he led the U.S. government’s efforts on export controls of dual-use items.

While leading the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), in addition to export controls, Cordell had a prominent role in supply chain security, activities with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and investigations into imports for potential national security risk. His time at BIS saw significant change to the government’s export-control policy, particularly as it relates to semiconductors and telecommunications.

In addition to his service at BIS, Mr. Hull served at the Department of Commerce as a deputy general counsel, as well as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. In those roles, he led the Department’s efforts with congress in the areas of international trade, supply chain security, economic development, and commercial space, to name a few.

Emily Kilcrease is Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Her research focuses on the U.S.-China economic relationship; alignment of national security objectives and economic policy; and the use of coercive economic statecraft.

Ms. Kilcrease previously served as a Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, overseeing the development, negotiation, and coordination of U.S. foreign investment policy. She served as the senior career staffer leading USTR’s work on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and coordinated USTR’s policy engagement on related national security and economic tools, including export controls and supply chain risk management. She played a lead role in drafting CFIUS reform regulations, with a focus on transactions involving critical technology and sensitive personal data. She was involved in the negotiation and enforcement of the Phase One Agreement with China, trilateral work with the EU and Japan to counter unfair Chinese trade practices, and the initial negotiations for an FTA with the United Kingdom.

Previously, Ms. Kilcrease served on the National Security Council as a Director for International Trade, Investment, and Development. She focused on reforming U.S. development finance authorities and launched the interagency effort that resulted in the BUILD Act, as well as coordinating policy on women’s economic empowerment. Prior to the NSC, she served at the Department of Commerce overseeing the Department’s CFIUS work. She began her government service at the Department of Interior working on trade and environment policy.

James Andrew Lewis is a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Before joining CSIS, he worked at the Departments of State and Commerce as a diplomat and as a member of the Senior Executive Service. His government experience includes a broad range of diplomatic and political-military assignments. Lewis helped develop policies on encryption, satellites, and how best to secure and commercialize the internet. He led the U.S. delegation to the Wassenaar Arrangement Experts Group on advanced civil and military technologies and was the Rapporteur for the UN's Group of Government Experts on Information Security for their successful 2010, 2013 and 2015 sessions. He led a long-running Track 1.5 discussions on cybersecurity with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

Lewis has authored numerous publications since coming to CSIS on cybersecurity, innovation, space, information technologies, globalization, deterrence, and surveillance. He was the director for CSIS’s Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency. He is frequently quoted in the media and has testified numerous times before Congress. Lewis’s current research examines how the Internet has changed politics and how digital technology will reshape business, society, and international relations. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Li Ting has considerable experiences in research and practices in the area of international sustainable development and environmental economics. She has served in the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the PRC, participated in and been responsible for the formulation and negotiation of UN multilateral treaties on Environment, Marine and Sustainable Development, and deeply involved in China’s international negotiations on climate change, as well as energy and environmental policy making processes.

After joining Rocky Mountain Institute, she has been in charge of areas including energy transition path, green city, building efficiency, smart transportation, renewable energy and integrated energy services, as well as clean technology investment and financing, leading the team to track comprehensive international energy transitions to provide policy advices and technical solutions for China’s energy transition and low-carbon development, and facilitating the planning and implementation of several energy and low-carbon projects. Dr. Li Ting is a member of the expert databases of the Asian Bank and the World Bank, and has participated in a number of research projects of relevant international organizations.

Peter Lichtenbaum advises clients on a broad array of international regulatory compliance and trade matters, including export controls, economic sanctions, national security reviews of foreign investments, anti-corruption laws, market access, and international trade disputes. He has specialized experience in the aerospace and defense industries.

Peter is ranked in Band 1 for Export Controls & Sanctions in Chambers USA (2019), which reports that he is “one of those rare lawyers who thinks through all the options moving forward.” Chambers describes him as a “go-to lawyer for those with export controls and sanctions issues.”

Peter has recently helped several companies establish, review or enhance their compliance programs. He is advising major technology companies regarding the impact of recent and ongoing export control developments on their businesses. He has worked with many leading aerospace and defense companies on internal investigations and disclosures related to trade controls and China. He also advises many of these companies on export control reform and defense trade policy issues, including international agreements on the regulation of defense trade. He has extensive experience with the trade controls issues that arise in the U.S. system for national security review of foreign investment, helping companies to identify issues and mitigate government concerns.

Peter served as Vice President for Regulatory Compliance and International Policy at BAE Systems, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of one of the world’s largest defense contractors. He was responsible for a broad array of regulatory compliance and policy issues. He participated in BAE Systems’ development of innovative standards of internal governance in order for the company to be recognized as a global leader in ethical business conduct.

Dr. Evan S. Medeiros is the Penner Family Chair in Asia Studies in the School of Foreign Service and the Cling Family Distinguished Fellow in U.S.-China Studies. His research and teaching focuses on the international politics of East Asia, U.S.-China relations and China’s foreign and national security policies. He has published several books and articles and regularly provides advice to global corporations and commentary to the international media.

Dr. Medeiros’ background is a unique blend of research expertise and practical experience. He previously served for six years on the staff of the National Security Council as Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia - and then as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asia. In the latter role, Dr. Medeiros served as President Obama's top advisor on the Asia-Pacific and was responsible for coordinating U.S. policy toward the Asia-Pacific across the areas of diplomacy, defense policy, economic policy, and intelligence. He was actively involved in all aspects U.S.-China relations for six years, including several U.S.-China summits.

Dr. Medeiros advises multinational companies in his role as a Senior Advisor with The Asia Group. Prior to joining the White House, Dr. Medeiros also worked for seven years as a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. From 2007-2008, he also served as policy advisor to Secretary Hank Paulson working on the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue at the Treasury Department.

Christopher is a China market veteran, who has lived in Beijing since 1994.

Since joining USITO in March 2016, Christopher has spearheaded public policy advocacy in China, representing 50 of the leading US and European ICT companies and five U.S headquartered ICT trade associations.

Christopher has positioned USITO as the authoritative voice of the global ICT industry in China and a force multiplier for companies seeking to deploy technologies and disrupt in this critical market. Christopher has in-depth working knowledge of China’s policy environment and US-China bilateral trade relations. He leads USITO’s engagement with government agencies, and maintains close partnerships with senior government officials, think tanks and academic institutions. He has specific expertise in cybersecurity, telecoms and cloud computing policies, internet governance, ICT standards, intellectual property, artificial intelligence, environmental protection, and industrial policies.

Christopher is a seasoned consultant and team leader, with experience across government relations, IPR, market entry and access, M&A, media and corporate communications, brand strategy, digital and social media, sales and distribution and crisis management.

Prior to joining USITO, Christopher has worked with local, regional and national government bodies, academic and research institutes, NGO’s and media outlets throughout the region. He has managed complex assignments involving customer complaints and litigation, IPR disputes, joint venture establishment, environmental protection and labor disputes, with the highest levels of government including the Supreme Court, SAIC, MOST and the NDRC.

Christopher has also counseled corporations on China market development strategies, helping them develop competitive brand advantage. He has advised large multinationals such as Procter & Gamble, Honeywell, Bayer AG and IBM and specialist niche players, including NGO’s and Internet businesses. Christopher’s long tenure “on-the-ground” in China has helped him develop a uniquely accurate and compelling perspective on Chinese customers and stakeholders.

Christopher holds a BA from Columbia University and has conducted post-graduate research at the University of Hawaii and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He has been recognized by CIPRA for his work in the field of public relations in China. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English and has served as a guest lecturer at Beijing University and Tsinghua University.

John G. Murphy directs the U.S. Chamber’s advocacy relating to international trade and investment policy. Since joining the Chamber in 1999, Murphy has led its successful campaigns to win congressional passage of trade agreements with a dozen nations, including Colombia, Panama, and South Korea in 2011, as well as Trade Promotion Authority in 2015. Murphy also plays a key role in the Chamber’s advocacy for international business priorities before Congress, the administration, foreign governments, and the World Trade Organization.

From 2001 to 2008, Murphy served as the Chamber’s Vice President for Western Hemisphere Affairs and as Executive Vice President of the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA). In 2008, he received AACCLA’s Eagle of the Americas award, which is given annually to the individual who has “done the most to advance our mission of increased trade and investment between the United States and Latin America.”

In 2021, he made Washingtonian’s inaugural Most Influential List, which highlights people who work tirelessly as advocates to change and improve the federal policies that have large impacts on people, states, businesses, foreign affairs, safety and security.

In the 1990s, Murphy worked at the International Republican Institute (IRI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of democracy overseas, and at the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), which champions market-oriented economic reform around the world. From 1992 to 1993, he was the first Western lecturer in economics at the National University of Economics in Czechoslovakia.

Robert C. O’Brien is co-founder and chairman of American Global Strategies LLC. He was the 28th United States National Security Advisor from 2019 – 2021. O’Brien served as the President’s principal advisor all aspects of American foreign policy and national security affairs.

O’Brien brought a renewed focus to defense and industrial base issues to the NSC. A long-time advocate of a sea power and a 355 ship Navy, O’Brien visited leading shipyards during his tenure. He also spent time at defense plants and with our troops at bases around the world.

During O’Brien’s time as National Security Advisor, the United States orchestrated the historic Abraham Accords in the Middle East, brokered economic normalization between Serbia and Kosovo, achieved significant defense spending increases among our NATO allies and increased cooperation with America’s allies across the Indo-Pacific.

Prior to serving as NSA, O’Brien was the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs with the personal rank of Ambassador. He was directly involved in the return of over 25 detainees and hostages to the United States. O’Brien previously served as Co-Chairman of the U.S. Department of State Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan under both Secretaries of State Rice and Clinton.

Randal Phillips is a Partner and heads the Mintz Group’s activities across Asia.

Randy spent 28 years with the Central Intelligence Agency’s National Clandestine Service, most recently serving as the Chief CIA representative in China. He has an extensive background in foreign field operations, policy and program management, and leadership development. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Bahasa Indonesian.

Randy has lived and traveled throughout China and elsewhere in Asia for the U.S. Government. Additionally, he has managed worldwide and regional programs from Washington. Randy has extensive relationships with officials and business leaders throughout the continent.

Randy has deep expertise on issues relative to Asia, with particular emphasis on China. This includes an intimate knowledge of the full range of political, economic, trade, investment and security issues involving China, from a bilateral as well as a multilateral perspective. Randy has extensive experience unraveling a variety of complex matters involving finance, trade and fraud.

Randy has a B.A. in diplomacy and foreign affairs from Miami University, and a Masters of International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Colm Rafferty is Vice President – Developing Markets and Chairman – China for Vermeer Corporation.

Vermeer is a global manufacturer of innovative solutions used to help connect people to the necessities of life, to help manage precious natural resources, and to help feed and fuel the world. Vermeer products are used in a variety of applications from underground utility infrastructure development, to precision mining, to solar field installation, waste material processing, and agricultural mechanization. Prior to joining Vermeer, Colm worked with Cummins and Alibaba.com. He holds a bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies from Brown University and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Colm currently serves as Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China). He has sat on the Board five times previously, of which four times were as Vice Chair. In 2019, he received the Chairman’s Service Award.

Derek Scissors is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he focuses on the Chinese and Indian economies and on US economic relations with Asia. He is concurrently chief economist of the China Beige Book. Dr. Scissors is the author of the China Global Investment Tracker. Starting in late 2008, he authored a series of papers that chronicled the end of pro-market Chinese reform and predicted economic stagnation in China as a result. He has also written multiple papers on the best course for Indian economic development. Before joining AEI, Dr. Scissors was a senior research fellow in the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation and an adjunct professor of economics at George Washington University. He has worked for London-based Intelligence Research Ltd., taught economics at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, and briefly served as an action officer in international economics and energy for the US Department of Defense. Dr. Scissors has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree from the University of Chicago, and a doctorate from Stanford University.

Commissioner Scissors was appointed by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy for a term expiring December 31, 2022.

Stephanie Segal is senior fellow of the CSIS Economics Program, where her research interests include economic competitiveness, U.S.-China economic relations, and the role of international financial institutions in the global economy. Until 2017, Ms. Segal served as codirector of the East Asia Office at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Prior to Treasury, she was senior economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where she covered a range of emerging market and advanced country economies. Earlier in her career, Ms. Segal served as an economist in the Western Hemisphere, South and Southeast Asia, and International Monetary Policy offices at Treasury; as an adviser to the U.S. director at the IMF; and as an analyst and associate in mergers & acquisitions at J.P. Morgan in New York. She earned her master's degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Karen M. Sutter is a Specialist in Asian Trade and Finance at the Congressional Research Service. She has over 30 years of experience working on U.S.-Asia policy issues, and crosscutting economic, political, technological and national security issues in government, business, and the think tank community. She previously served as the Director of Strategy and Analysis for the U.S. Air Force’s Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA); Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for International Markets and Investment, and Senior Policy Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Investment Security at the U.S. Department of Treasury; and Senior Analyst on China at the CIA. Prior to joining government, Ms. Sutter led the research and consulting division of the U.S.-China Business Council and directed the Asia program at The Atlantic Council of the United States. Earlier in her career, she worked for the National Bureau of Asian Research and the Asia Society. Ms. Sutter has worked and studied in Beijing, Taipei, and Strasbourg, and speaks Chinese (Mandarin) and French. She received an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Washington, where she was a Henry M. Jackson Fellow, and is a graduate of the University of Virginia.

Joseph studies the politics of authoritarian regimes with a specific focus on elite power struggles, civil-military relations, and grand strategy. His philosophy as a scholar is to select topics based on the widest gap between the under-utilization of available documents and their theoretical and empirical importance, extract broader lessons, and use those lessons to help us to understand two nations of crucial geopolitical importance – Russia and China. His research agenda draws upon comparative politics, international relations, security studies, and history to ask big questions about the long-term political trajectories of these two states. In particular, he is interested in how leaders in those countries create security against threats from within the elite, their own people, and other states.

John Whitcomb is a Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment in FTI Consulting, and he is based in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the industrials sector and serves as the sector’s lead for public affairs.

Mr. Whitcomb provides strategic counsel to clients on a wide array of issues impacting their enterprise value, reputation, and freedom to operate. This includes policy and regulation, government investigations, mergers and acquisitions, international arbitrations, and litigation. He is particularly focused on identifying and analyzing policy and regulatory trends, developing and executing integrated advocacy solutions, and advising on regulatory approvals for cross-border transactions (antitrust/competition and CFIUS). and has worked with a wide range of clients in aerospace and defense, chemicals, materials, and agriculture.

Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Mr. Whitcomb was part of C2GROUP, a highly regarded bipartisan government relations and lobbying firm, which was acquired by FTI Consulting in 2013. In his role as legislative analyst, Mr. Whitcomb provided research and insight on a variety of policy and regulatory issues, including trade, taxation, transportation, and government appropriations. He also helped manage an industry trade organization that advocated for tax changes to the Internal Revenue Code.

Mr. Whitcomb has political experience at the state and Federal levels.

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Ting Li

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Chris Millward

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Robert O’Brien

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Colm Rafferty

Kendra Schaefer

Derek Scissors

Stephanie Segal

Karen Sutter

Mac Thornbury

Joseph Torigian

Lingling Wei

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Kevin Wolf

Joerg Wuttke

Weiming Xiang

Ning ZHU

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