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On January 16, 2025 Asia Society Northern California hosted its seventh annual all-day U.S. & China Conference: The Future of U.S. & China: Under Renewed Pressure. This full-day event, took place in San Francisco, and featured leaders in business and trade, government, academia, and journalists exploring the complex and evolving relationship between these two global powers. The event provided a diverse range of perspectives on various topics, including China's domestic economy, U.S. security and trade outlook, business relations, and Ambassadors on navigating U.S.-China relations. This year we also hosted private roundtables on people-to-people relations, investing in China, and technology competition and collaboration. Sponsors also participated in an Exclusive Roundtable with Ambassador Kevin Rudd. We have captured the public conference on video and will be sharing it here and on our YouTube channel in the coming weeks, along with photos. With a total of 30 speakers and 11 discussions, we will be posting one video per week. Be sure to subscribe to our channel and stay tuned for the release of these informative discussions.

VIDEOS

What will China Policy from the Trump Administration Look like? - Perspectives on National Security and Diplomacy

 The panel on national security and diplomacy was moderated by James McGregor Chairman, Greater China, APCO Worldwide and featured Anja Manuel, Co-Founder and Principal, Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, and Daniel Russel, Vice President, International Security and Diplomacy, Asia Society Policy Institute. This panel began by covering where China’s military stands today in relation to technological advancements, strategic priorities, and leadership. Speakers also discussed the new leadership in the Trumpadministration, discussing U.S. strategy towards China in relation to partnerships, alliances, and technology competition. Relations between Russia, China, and North Korea were also highlighted, with speakers testing the extent of the partnership with no limits between China and Russia. Panelists ended on the importance of intentionality in U.S. leadership in supporting partners and treading carefully in navigating competition and rivalry with China. 

 What will China Policy from the Trump Administration Look like? - Perspectives on Economic Security and Trade 

 This second panel on economic security and trade was moderated by James McGregor, Chairman, Greater China, APCO Worldwide and featured Wendy Cutler, Vice President, Asia Society Policy Institute; Managing Director, Asia Society Washington, D.C. Office and Elissa Alben, Vice President and Head of Global Trade and Innovation Policy, Pfizer. This panel started with a discussion of President Trump’s tariff policy and the unknowns surrounding negotiation settlements, product coverage, and China’s response for the future of bilateral trade. Other than tariffs, the importance of market access restrictions, investment controls, and data restrictions were also raised in the context of how the private sector would be affected from both the U.S. and China side. Panelists ended the discussion by iterating the codependent nature of U.S.-China trade relations given supply chains and joint ventures, and the continued “roller coaster” that many can expect for the future of trade and economic security between the U.S. and China. 

How Business is Coping with Changing Relations: A CEO Conversation

 This session was moderated by Mary Kay Magistad, Board Chair of Global Voices, and featured speakers Ernie Thrasher, Chief Executive Officer of Xcoal Energy & Resources; Ken Wilcox, Chairman & CEO Emeritus of Silicon Valley Bank; Vice Chairman and CEO Emeritus of SPDB-SVB; and Roberta Lipson, Founder of United Family Healthcare and Vice Chair of New Frontier Health.  The panelists covered how their own businesses in the finance, healthcare, and energy sectors are adapting to changing U.S.-China relations. Wilcox described obstacles to operating foreign financial services in China, detailing how many foreign companies experience heavy regulation and are approached for their business models by the Chinese government. Lipson discussed how certain sectors, such as premium healthcare, have experienced success despite a general economic slowdown in China. Thrasher brought up his experience in the fossil fuels industry, describing how American and Australian coal exports have become key for Chinese steel production. Panelists addressed how their respective sectors will adjust to changing U.S.-China relations, generally expressing concern and caution around the potential for disengagement. During a Q&A session, panelists answered questions regarding China’s motivations for welcoming specific foreign businesses and the decline of the U.S. steel industry. 

Ambassadors on the Global Navigation of U.S. & China Relations

This session was moderated by Kathleen Stephens, Board Chair of The Korea Society and Former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2008-2011). Speakers included Lui Tuck Yew, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to the United States of America and Suriya Chindawongse, Ambassador of Thailand to the United States of America. Panelists discussed Singapore and Thailand’s approaches to navigating U.S. - China relations as ASEAN member countries. Lui offered context on Singapore’s bilateral relations with the U.S. and China, highlighting that both relationships are important to a small country like Singapore. Chindawongse emphasized the saying “Enemies to none,” describing how Thailand navigates relationships with ally countries based on mutual interest and motivations. Panelists discussed the Biden administration’s efforts to reinvigorate bilateral and multilateral relationships with Indo-Pacific countries and how trade architectures allow the U.S. to remain engaged in the region. Panelists also described a shift in trade paradigms, noting that countries have moved from fostering interdependence to avoiding overdependence. The panel concluded with both ambassadors recognizing the need for U.S. - China relationship that is both competitive and cooperative to ensure mutual benefit for all countries.