Virtual Executive Roundtable on U.S.-China Relations and Investments in Asia

The heightened level of tension between the U.S. and China has impacted U.S. foreign direct investment in China, which shrank dramatically in 2022 and stalled during the pandemic. Given the vast investment opportunities and business ties between the U.S. and China, U.S. investors and the governments of both countries continue to evaluate the multi-faceted impact of current and escalated investment restrictions. For this conversation, we will hear the perspectives of experts in the financial and legal sectors on how the restrictions are impacting U.S. foreign direct investors interested in investing in China, the risks involved, and the effects on both countries’ economies. 

Join us online for an off-the-record discussion on Monday, June 5, 2023 from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Pacific (June 6, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. China time). This will be a Zoom Meeting. Participants will be asked to join with their cameras on to encourage an interactive discussion.

This virtual Executive Roundtable Program is a special benefit for Asia Society Northern California and Asia Society Seattle Board, Advisory Council, Groundbreaker and Innovator Members. Learn more and become an Asia Society Member today: https://asiasociety.org/northern-california/join-our-community and https://asiasociety.org/seattle/become-member. Registered Members will receive a link to join virtual discussion the week of the program.

Agenda 

• 5:00 p.m. Program Begins - Opening Remarks
• 5:00 p.m. Introductory Remarks
• 5:05 p.m. Moderated Discussion followed by Audience Q&A
• 6:00 p.m. Program Concludes

This is a Virtual Event

Link to join virtually via Zoom will be emailed the day before and an hour before the program is scheduled. This will be a meeting program where you will be directly connected with our speakers and able to ask them questions directly. We encourage you to leave cameras on the whole time to make the session as interactive as possible. 

SPEAKER BIOS

Guonan Ma is Senior Fellow on Chinese Economy at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis. He is an economist with four decades of experience conducting policy, market, and academic research, specializing in Chinese economic issues. He was a senior economist at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) for 15 years, before becoming visiting scholars and professors in recent years at various central banks, universities and thinktanks. Before his BIS career, he worked as a market economist on Asia at different investment banks, including Bankers Trust, Merrill Lynch and Citigroup, and he has been a lecturer in economics at both the Australian National University and Beijing University. Dr. Ma received his Ph.D. in economics at the University of Pittsburgh and holds a bachelor degree in economics from Beijing University. Over the years, he has published many research papers, including those in Comparative Economic Studies, the Journal of Development Economics, Pacific Economic Review, International Economics, and the Journal of International Money and Finance.

David Loevinger is Managing Director, Emerging Markets Sovereign Research at TCW Group, covering the Asian region. Before joining TCW in 2012, Mr. Loevinger was the Department of Treasury’s Senior Coordinator for China Affairs and the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. While at Treasury, he also served as minister counselor for financial affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia. Mr. Loevinger was previously an economist for the International Monetary Fund and also worked in the office of the IMF’s U.S. executive director. He started his career in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Senate Banking Committee, and Commerce Department. He earned a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a B.A. in Government and Economics from Dartmouth College.

Ambassador Frank Lavin has 30 years of experience helping companies succeed in Asia, through leadership roles in banking, marketing, and diplomacy. In government, Frank served as Ambassador to Singapore and Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade. In the latter role, he was lead trade negotiator for both China and India and was the senior policy official, responsible for commercial policy, export promotion and trade negotiations.
 
Frank currently serves as Chairman of Export Now, a company that supports U.S. brands in China e-commerce. Frank previously served in senior finance and management positions in Hong Kong and Singapore with Citibank, Bank of America, and Edelman. Frank is the co-author of “Export Now” (Wiley).
 
Frank earned a B.S. from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University; an M.S. in Chinese Language from Georgetown University; an M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University; and an M.B.A. in Finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
 
Frank is a contributor to Forbes, writing on topics from U.S.-Asia relations to international business practices.