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South China Morning Post’s China Conference: USA Held in New York in Partnership with CGCC
NEW YORK - On December 10th, 2019, China General Chamber of Commerce - USA (CGCC) partnered with the South China Morning Post (SCMP) to host, "China Conference: USA" at The Altman Building, in Manhattan. With the theme “Competition or Cooperation?,” the conference brought together over 300 experts and leaders from the U.S. and China “to learn about and discuss how the global economic, social and technological landscape will evolve during this time of immense competition and conflict between the two superpowers.”
More than 40 representatives from CGCC member companies attended the all-day conference, which included a total of 6 panel discussions on topics such as technology, cultural exchange, and business. Xiao Yuqiang, CGCC Vice Chairman and Chairman of the U.S. Management Committee of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), and Stella Li, CGCC Board Director and President of BYD Motors, were among the participants in one of the conference’s panels.
The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Gary Liu, CEO of the South China Morning Post.
Mr. Liu's remarks were followed by a keynote presentation by Dr. Chen Deming, Former Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and President of the China Association of Enterprise with Foreign Investment (CAEFI). Regarding the current U.S.-China trade friction, Dr. Chen pointed out that “Whoever insists on decoupling will fall behind and even be phased out in the advancement of science and technology.” Dr. Chen believes that it is still possible for China and the U.S. to reach a “phase-one” trade agreement as originally announced by President Trump on October 11.
In the panel discussion titled, “Trillion-dollar question: Are U.S. business ties with China sustainable?,” Xiao Yuqiang, CGCC Vice Chairman and Chairman of the U.S. Management Committee of ICBC, and Stella Li, CGCC Board Director and President of BYD Motors, shared their companies’ own experiences of operating under the current U.S.-China trade environment.
When asked about the recent congressional spending bill to ban BYD from the U.S. public bus market, Ms. Li pointed out that the ban would hurt both countries, and both sides should work together to find a solution. Ms. Li emphasized on the panel that BYD is trying to build environmentally-friendly vehicles that are good for the whole planet, not to mention the millions of dollars BYD has invested to train local workers and increase employment opportunities.
Among the conference’s other panel discussions included, “Tech-tonic shifts: The race for 5G and technological supremacy.” Moderated by Chua Kong-ho, Technology Editor at the South China Morning Post, the panel featured Donald Morrissey, Director of Congressional, State, and Local Government Affairs at Huawei Technologies (USA); Dr. Robert Atkinson, Founder & President at Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; and Naomi Wilson, Senior Director of Policy - Asia, at the Information Technology Industry Council.
During a panel discussion titled, “Bi-polar: Can opposing ideologies coexist?,” panelists discussed the U.S.- China diplomatic relationship and the different ideologies at play. Moderated by Chow Chung Yan, Executive Editor of the South China Morning Post, panelists included Dr. Huiyao Wang, Founder & President of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and a Counselor of China State Council; Daniel Russel, Vice President for International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI); Professor Ann Lee, Author of “What the US Can Learn from China" and "Will China’s Economy Collapse?"; and Grace Chen, Chief Strategy Officer - China for Live Nation.
The conference also included a presentation by Wendy Cutler, Former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative and Vice President of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) titled, “Best Buys: How is the trade war impacting global investment?”. During the presentation, Ms. Cutler expressed that she believes the Phase 1 trade deal between the U.S. and China is likely to be missed, but she is optimistic that the two countries will eventually reach an agreement.
The panel discussion following Ms. Cutler’s presentation was moderated by Jodi Xu Klein, Deputy Bureau Chief of North America at the South China Morning Post. In addition to Ms. Cutler, other panelists included, Victor Gao, Chairman of the China Energy Security Institute and Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization; Ambassador Terry Miller, Mark A. Kolokotrones Fellow in Economic Freedom and Director of the Center for International Trade and Economics at The Heritage Foundation; and Michael Ryan, Chief Investment Officer Americas for UBS Global Wealth Management.
CGCC sincerely thanks the South China Morning Post, the conference’s speakers, and CGCC members for their support of this event. CGCC will continue to bring inspiring and in-depth discussions and conversations to its members.
About CGCC:
Founded in 2005, the China General Chamber of Commerce – USA (“CGCC”) has been recognized as the largest and most influential non-profit organization representing Chinese enterprises in the U.S. Its membership consists of more than 1,500 Chinese and U.S. companies, 54 of which are ranked on the 2019 Fortune Global 500. CGCC’s mission is to create value, generate economic growth, and enhance cooperation between the U.S. and Chinese business communities. CGCC conducts extensive research and provides a broad range of programs, services, and resources to its members and key stakeholders in an effort to foster mutual understanding, trust, and engagement between China and the U.S. As of 2018, CGCC’s Chinese member companies have cumulatively invested over $120 billion, employ more than 200,000 people, and support over one million jobs throughout the United States.
CGCC is a national organization and includes CGCC-New York (CGCCUSA-HQ), CGCC-Chicago, CGCC-Houston, CGCC-Los Angeles, CGCC-San Francisco, and CGCC-Washington D.C.