China Business: Adapting to New Realities

Event Details

Join us for our China Conference 2025, featuring distinguished keynote speaker Dr. Kurt Campbell, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State & Chairman at The Asia Group, and other experts. This Conference will delve into the evolving landscape of business between China and the United States in the new environment.

The relationship between the United States and China has undergone significant transformations over the past decade, influenced by geopolitical tensions, trade issues, and differing approaches to global governance. As the world's two largest economies, their interactions have profound implications for businesses operating in both markets and worldwide. A new U.S. administration has introduced more uncertainties.

Technology has become a central arena in U.S.-China relations, with both nations vying for leadership in key sectors such as artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and cybersecurity. In addition, U.S. has imposed restrictions on Chinese tech giants leading to an increased scrutiny of foreign investments in sensitive technologies. Businesses must navigate these complexities, adapting their strategies to comply with evolving regulations and mitigate risks associated with supply chain disruptions.

Today's U.S.-China relations present a complex tapestry of challenges and opportunities for businesses. The U.S. has adopted derisking -- and even decoupling in some instances in sourcing from China, leading to a rethink of supply chain worldwide. Despite the challenges, opportunities still exist for businesses willing to navigate the complexities of the U.S.-China relationship. The growing consumer market in China presents vast potential for American companies, particularly in sectors such as e-commerce, healthcare, and renewable energy. Conversely, Chinese enterprises are increasingly looking to expand into the U.S. market, seeking partnerships and investments in technology, finance, and real estate.

This conference will explore the anticipated shifts in trade policies, diplomatic strategies, and economic interactions between the two countries; explore the implications of new restrictions imposed by both the U.S. and Chinese governments, and assess China's aspiration in technology and innovation leadership; and provide a comprehensive overview of the current business environment in China, highlighting emerging opportunities while addressing the obstacles.

Program on April 24

1:30 pm Registration & Networking

2:00 pm Welcome Remarks by Chairman David Butts and opening speakers

2:20 pm Distinguished Keynote Speech by Dr. Kurt Campbell, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State; Chairman at The Asia Group

2:50 pm Business Session 1: U.S.-China Outlook in the Second Trump Administration

4:05 pm Coffee Break

4:25 pm Business Session 2: Navigating China's Technology Sector amidst New Restrictions

5:40 pm Business Session 3: Business Opportunities & Challenges

6:55 pm Close of Event

Distinguished Keynote Speaker

Welcome Remarks

Business Sessions

Business Session 1: U.S.-China Outlook in the Second Trump Administration

As Donald Trump becomes US President again, the implications for U.S.-China relations are at the forefront of discussions among policymakers, business leaders, and economists. This panel will explore the anticipated shifts in trade policies, diplomatic strategies, and economic interactions between the two countries, providing critical insights for businesses operating in or considering entry into the Chinese market.

Business Session 2: Navigating China's Technology Sector amidst New Restrictions

As the global technology landscape undergoes rapid transformation, U.S. and international businesses must navigate a complex web of restrictions and regulatory challenges when engaging with Chinese technology markets. This panel will explore the implications of new restrictions imposed by both the U.S. and Chinese governments, and assess China's aspiration in technology and innovation leadership.

Business Session 3: Business Opportunities & Challenges

China presents a landscape rich with opportunities for businesses across various sectors. However, navigating this dynamic market comes with its own set of challenges, from regulatory hurdles to cultural nuances. This panel will provide a comprehensive overview of the current business environment in China, highlighting emerging opportunities while addressing the obstacles that companies may face when entering or expanding in this challenging market.

Speakers

Distinguished Keynote Speaker

Welcome Remarks

Business Sessions

Elizabeth Economy

Hargrove Senior Fellow at The Hoover Institute

Michael Hart

President at AmCham China

Victor Ho

Co-Global Head of Technology, Partner at A&O Shearman

Matthew Hosford

Industry Specialist, International Finance Corporation; AmCham China Business Committee Co-Chair

Benjamin Kostrzewa

Partner at Hogan Lovells

Jane Lau

Senior VP, Supply Chain at Starbucks China

Cheng Li

Professor of Political Science and Founding Director of the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at University of Hong Kong

Roberta Lipson

Founder of United Family Healthcare (UFH); Vice Chair of New Frontier Health

Leon Meng

Founding Managing Partner and CEO of Ascendent Capital Partners

Joe Ngai

Senior Partner, and Chair, China, Hong Kong at McKinsey & Company

Sally Peng

Senior Managing Director of FTI Consulting (Hong Kong) Limited; Vice Chairman of AmCham HK

Yang Qiang

Chief AI Advisor at WeBank

Grace Shao

Founder of AI Proem

Denis Simon

Non-resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute at Duke University

Michelle Wei

Director of Public Policy at Meta

William Yu

President at Honeywell China*

Yeqing Zheng

Vice President; General Counsel at XPeng

Elizabeth Economy is the Hargrove Senior Fellow and co-chair of the Program on the US, China, and the World at the Hoover Institution. From 2021 to 2023, she served as the senior advisor for China in the Department of Commerce. Economy was previously at the Council on Foreign Relations, where she served as the C.V. Starr Senior Fellow and director for Asia Studies for over a decade.

Economy is an acclaimed author and expert on Chinese domestic and foreign policy. Her most recent book is The World According to China (Polity, 2022). She is also the author of The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State (Oxford University Press, 2018), which was shortlisted for the Lionel Gelber Prize for foreign affairs books, and By All Means Necessary: How China’s Resource Quest Is Changing the World (Oxford University Press, 2014) with Michael Levi. Her book The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China’s Future (Cornell University Press, 2004; 2nd edition, 2010) was named one of the top fifty sustainability books by the University of Cambridge, won the 2005 International Convention on Asia Scholars Award for the best social sciences book published on Asia, and was listed as one of the top ten books of 2004 by The Globalist, as well as one of the best business books of 2010 by Booz Allen Hamilton’s Strategy+Business magazine. She also coedited China Joins the World: Progress and Prospects (Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1999) with Michel Oksenberg and The Internationalization of Environmental Protection (Cambridge University Press, 1997) with Miranda Schreurs. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages.

She has published articles in foreign policy and scholarly journals including Foreign Affairs, Harvard Business Review, and Foreign Policy, and op-eds in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among other news outlets. Economy is a frequent guest on nationally broadcast television and radio programs, has testified before Congress on numerous occasions, and regularly consults for US government agencies and companies. In June 2018, Economy was named one of the “10 Names That Matter on China Policy” by Politico Magazine.

Economy serves on the board of managers of Swarthmore College, as well as on the boards of the National Committee on US-China Relations and the National Endowment for Democracy. She is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group and the Council on Foreign Relations. At the World Economic Forum, she served as a member and then vice chair of the Global Agenda Council on the Future of China (2008–14) and a member of the Global Agenda Council on the United States (2014–16). She has taught undergraduate- and graduate-level courses at Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, and the University of Washington's Jackson School of International Studies.

Economy received her BA with honors from Swarthmore College, her AM from Stanford University, and her PhD from the University of Michigan. In 2008, she received an honorary doctor of law degree from Vermont Law School.

Michael Hart 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 nineteen years in mainland China.
As President, Michael 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. The chamber’s advocacy includes the impressive American Business in China White Paper and Business Climate Survey each published annually as well as numerous interactions with both the US and Chinese governments on behalf of our members.
Prior to joining AmCham China, Michael spent most of his career in commercial real estate in Taipei, Shanghai and Tianjin including almost 20 years for a NYSE listed property services firm. He started in the research division briefing real estate owners, occupiers and investors on transactions and macro trends, he then opened, built, and led a branch office for the company in one of China’s largest Tier 1.5 cities for over a decade. Following this, Michael opened a private consulting and investment firm that among other projects invested in quick service restaurants.
In addition to this work, Michael was a long-term AmCham member and served on the Tianjin chapter’s Executive Committee for nearly 15 years including several terms as the local Chairman.
Michael holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on finance and banking from the University of Missouri-Columbia in the U.S. He is a fluent speaker of mandarin Chinese. Michael was born and raised near Kansas City, Missouri.

Victor is Technology Sector Lead and has extensive experience of working on Asian and PRC-related transactions, having lived and worked in the region since 1991.

Victor’s practice is characterized by its depth and breadth of experience and involves representing multinational clients with their China-related matters, and Chinese clients investing globally. As a strategic adviser to his key clients, his corporate and M&A practice involves advising on a wide range of cross-border transactions, as well as sensitive, significant regulatory and compliance issues.

Victor has spearheaded the build-out of A&O’s multidisciplinary China platform, including actively leading the development of the group’s antitrust, data, IP, regulatory and compliance offerings. Increasingly, this has involved advising clients on the development of their China-related strategies, in which M&A, antitrust, data, digitalisation, partnerships and IP play key and integrated roles. Victor speaks English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Matthew Hosford is a Principal Banking Specialist at the International Finance Corporation. He joined IFC in October 2017 and advises investment teams throughout Asia. Prior to joining IFC Matthew's career was spent mostly in Banco Santander in Asia. From 2007 to 2017 He was the Chief Risk Officer in the Asia-Pacific region and helped the Group set up operations in the region including representing the Group on two boards of directors in China. Matthew first joined Santander in 1990 where he worked until 2000, most of that time Asia.

In 2000 Matthew left Santander for a seven year stint in the Risk Management advisory practice of Price WaterhouseCoopers. During that time he advised banks in China and the rest of Asia on enhancing risk management and governance practices, especially in response to the needs and challenges of Basel II.

Matthew is a member of the Board of Love 21, a non-profit organization that works with learning disabled youths in Hong Kong. In his spare time he enjoys hiking the trails of Hong Kong and exploring new cultures across the globe.

Matthew is a graduate of the Harvard Business School. He speaks English, Spanish and Mandarin.

Li Cheng is professor of political science and founding director of the Centre on Contemporary China and the World (CCCW) at the University of Hong Kong. Professor Li’s research areas include the transformation of political leaders, the Chinese middle class, technological development in China, and Sino-U.S. relations. Li is the author and editor of 17 books, including more recently Middle Class Shanghai: Reshaping U.S.-China Engagement, The Power of Ideas: The Rising Influence of Thinkers and Think Tanks in China, and Chinese Politics in the Xi Jinping Era. Prior to joining HKU, Li served as director and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s John L. Thornton China Center, where he remains a nonresident senior fellow. Professor Li is also a director of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, a Distinguished Fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at University of Toronto, a nonresident fellow at Yale University’s Paul Tsai China Center, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Li received an M.A. in Asian Studies from the University of California at Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Princeton University.

Roberta Lipson is the founder of United Family Healthcare (UFH) and the Vice Chair of New Frontier Health.

She has over 40 years of experience as a pioneer in the healthcare industry in China. She originally co-founded UFH’s predecessor company Chindex in 1981, expanding the business from China’s top medical equipment distribution company into China’s first and largest foreign-invested healthcare system. UFH now runs 11 hospitals and almost 20 clinics in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Qingdao, Hainan and Shenzhen.

Roberta is an active leader in the business community in Beijing, currently serving for the ninth year as a director and audit committee chair of the US-China Business Council, and enters her seventh term on the AmCham China Board. In 2009, her outstanding contributions in China earned her “The Great Wall Friendship Award”, and in 2014 Roberta was named the inaugural recipient of the AmCham China Pioneer Award.

Prior to founding Ascendent Capital Partners, Mr. Meng was a Managing Director of D. E. Shaw & Co., where he started and managed the firm’s Hong Kong office and was founder and CEO of D. E. Shaw’s Greater China Private Equity Unit. Before joining the D. E. Shaw group, Mr. Meng was a Managing Director of JP Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited and co-head of that firm’s China investment banking activities. He served on JP Morgan’s Asia Pacific M&A Committee and China Business Engagement Committee. During his over a decade investment banking career, Mr. Meng led and completed over US$40 billion equity, debt, hybrid, and restructuring transactions in the U.S. and Asia Pacific.

Mr. Meng earned his M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management, where he currently is the Co-Chairman of the Greater China Advisory Board. Mr. Meng is a Donaldson Fellow of the Yale School of Management.

Joe is a senior partner and chairman of McKinsey’s offices in Greater China across Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Taipei.

Previously, Joe led McKinsey’s Financial Services and Private Equity Practices in Greater China. He has led many large-scale transformation efforts for Chinese and multinational organizations and has advised senior management on topics such as strategy, M&A, and operational transformations.

Joe is frequently quoted in top-tier media outlets such as CNBC, the Financial Times and China Daily, as well as major local media. He is the author of numerous reports on China’s financial institutions and is coauthor of Life Insurance in Asia: Sustaining Growth in the Next Decade (Wiley, September 2012), which offers a comprehensive look at the challenges and opportunities facing insurers across Asia. Joe speaks frequently at major international forums on a range of topics including The Next China, financial services, leadership and management, and social enterprises.

Joe is passionate about social enterprise and education. He is chairman of DiamondCab, an award-winning social enterprise that provides taxi services to people with physical disabilities; president of Phillips Exeter Academy Association of Hong Kong; a director of the Diocesan Boys’ School Foundation; and a director and former president of the Harvard Business School Association of Hong Kong.

Recognized for his influence, Joe was named one of the “2023 & 2024 Forbes China 100 Most Influential Chinese” and was honored as one of the “2022 CEOs of the Year for Multinational Corporations in China” by Jiemian News. He is also appointed as a Justice of Peace by the Hong Kong Government.

Sally has extensive experience advising public-listed companies on their complex encryption programs under US and Hong Kong laws. She also advises several China-based clients regarding US sanctions regulations and has performed on-site impact analysis. In addition, she works closely with her clients’ legal, procurement and logistics teams to build best-in-class Export Control and Sanction compliance programs. Her industry coverage includes banks, telecommunications, national defense contractors, heavy machinery, and research universities.

Sally has been a trusted advisor for many MNCs on their international trade and customs issues. She served as team leader for several global retailers in large-scale customs duty-saving projects in over ten Asian countries. She also assisted multiple Asia-based companies in defending antidumping and countervailing cases with US Department of Commerce and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). During the on-going US-China trade war, Sally is sought after by her clients to advise them on mitigating strategies against US section 301 and 232 retaliation tariffs, free trade agreements, trade preference programmes and country of origin issues. Her industry coverage includes apparel, footwear, handbag & leather goods, hardline goods and consumer electronics.

Sally takes her passion for international trade beyond individual companies, having participated in negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), as well as serving as a key member on numerous trade missions, including to Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and various African countries. She is also highly involved in the AmCham HK, as Co-Chair of the Apparel, Footwear & Supply Chain Committee. She is also a Senior Advisor to the Hong Kong General Chamber of Textiles.

Professor Qiang Yang received his BSc. degree from Peking University in Astrophysics and his PhD degree from the Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, in 1989. He had been a faculty member and Chair Professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology between 2001 and 2023, a Professor at Simon Fraser University and Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada between 1989 and 2001. He is a fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) and Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and a fellow of IEEE, ACM, AAAI, AAAS, IAPR and CAAI. He was the President of IJCAI between 2019 and 2021 and the President of Hong Kong Society of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics(HKSAIR). He is the Founding Editor in Chief of the ACM Transactions on Intelligent Systems and Technology (ACM TIST) and the Founding Editor in Chief of IEEE Transactions on Big Data (IEEE TBD). He is also active in industrial practice: he has been the founding director of Huawei Noah’s Ark Lab, co-founder of 4th Paradigm Technology Ltd. (HKex 06682) and Chief AI Officer at WeBank. He received the ACM SIGKDD Distinguished Service Award and the University of Maryland, Department of Computer Science Alumni Hall of Fame in 2017 and IJCAI Distinguished Service Award In 2023. His research interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, federated learning, transfer learning, case-based reasoning and planning.

Grace is a tech and AI researcher and writer. She often writes about AI, technology, and corporate governance for Fortune, The Diplomat, Diplomat Risk Intelligence, Economist Intelligence Unit, and FT Chinese. As a journalist, Grace reported for CNBC and CGTN on Asia tech and business, and her work has also been published in the SCMP, S&P Global Market Intelligence, Yahoo Finance, and USA Today.

Grace is also the founder of Proem Communications. As an international media consultant, she has advised clients such as Lenovo, Ant Financial, Kuaishou, PayPal, KKR, Primavera, and growth-stage consumer tech and biotech firms. Grace was integral to Alibaba Group's international corporate affairs team, helping the tech giant navigate some of its most significant crises and milestones.

Grace has lived in Canada, Mainland China, Singapore, and the US and has called Hong Kong home since 2020. She serves as the Co-Chair of the Marketing and Communications Committee of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. She is a former member of the Asian American Journalists Association and Society of Professional Journalists.

She is a native English and Mandarin Chinese speaker and an alumna of Columbia University, Tsinghua University, and the Alberta School of Business. She has guest lectured at Tsinghua University and Peking University and teaches Crisis Management at the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong.

Denis Simon is a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute and senior lecturer in the Asian Pacific Studies Institute at Duke University. He is a recognized expert on international science and technology affairs. He has more than four decades of experience studying innovation, S&T policy, and talent in China. Most recently, he served as director of corporate partnerships at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Kenan–Flagler Business School. He also has served as professor of practice for China business and technology at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Executive Vice Chancellor of Duke Kunshan University in China (2015–20). He was a founding member of the Experts Group of the U.S.–China Innovation Dialogue organized by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and China’s Ministry of Science & Technology (2008–17). In addition, he served as a special adviser on several cross–border innovation projects, including at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office regarding intellectual property rights issues in China. He also has served as senior adviser on China and global affairs at several U.S. universities. From 2023–24 he served as a consultant to the National Academy of Sciences regarding its study on global talent and U.S. interests, including China’s evolving role. From 1995–2000 he was general manager of Andersen Consulting in Beijing (now Accenture) and was founding president of Monitor Group China (2001–02). He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and his B.A. from the State University of New York.

In 2006 he received the China National Friendship Award from then-Premier Wen Jiabao in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He also is a founding organizer and a principal coordinator of the U.S.–China Dialogue on Higher Education.

William Yu was appointed as President of Honeywell China in February 2022, and is responsible for driving Honeywell’s organic growth in China and building the best talent pool across the board to support Honeywell’s East-for-East (E4E) and East-to-Rest (E2R) strategies. William will work closely with the businesses to drive Key Strategic Accounts initiative at the C-Suite level to bring One-Honeywell solutions addressing their most critical needs. He will also expand the Mass-Mid Segment (MMS) strategy to serve China’s booming middle-class population.

William returns to the Honeywell China team from his most recent global role of Vice President and General Manager of Honeywell Smart Energy business, Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT). Before that, William led Honeywell China and PMT APAC businesses, and was the first Chairman of Huosheng business. William joined Honeywell in 2017 as the Vice President and General Manager of PMT Asia Pacific.

William brings to Honeywell a long track record of significant growth in multiple businesses and industries. He was the Senior Vice President and APAC President of Allegion, a spin-off from Ingersoll Rand and a global pioneer in safety and security solutions. Before that, William served at Ingersoll Rand for 16 years in senior executive roles, including President of its Security Technologies and Residential Solutions business in Asia Pacific.

William is a well-known Lean Six Sigma expert, Guest Researcher at Shanghai Jiaotong University, Guest Professor at Shanghai International Studies University, Lecturer at Schools of Management of Shanghai Fudan University and East China University of Science and Technology, Fellow of Shanghai Institute of Management Science, and Senior Member of American Society for Quality. He has published several books on business management and Six Sigma practice.

William earned his bachelor’s degree in German at Shanghai Science and Technology University, and later executive MBA at China-Europe International Business School.

Yeqing Zheng (鄭葉青), aged 39, has been appointed as our joint company secretary taking effect before Listing. Mr. Zheng joined our Group in November 2020 and has since served as the international general counsel and the compliance officer of the Group.
Prior to joining our Group, Mr. Zheng worked at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP from November 2009 to November 2020, during which he served as an associate and last served as special counsel. Mr. Zheng was admitted to the New York Bar in March 2010. Mr. Zheng received his juris doctor degree from Yale University in June 2009, his master of environmental management degree from Yale University in May 2006, and his bachelor of environmental engineering degree from Tsinghua University in July 2004.

By alphabetical order of last names

* To be confirmed

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Michael Stewart, Director of Membership, Events & Partnerships

Email: mstewart@amcham.org.hk

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Event Details

Program on April 24

Distinguished Keynote Speaker

Welcome Remarks

Business Sessions

Speakers

Distinguished Keynote Speaker

Welcome Remarks