Starts 2 min before the session time
Following welcome remarks from SCMP CEO Gary Liu, His Excellency Mr. Liu Guangyuan, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, will outline China's key reforms and foreign policies and how they impact business opportunities in Hong Kong.
Starts 2 min before the session time
As we near the one-year mark of the Biden presidency, the administration’s policies toward China have differed only slightly from that of the previous administration. Many observers have even expressed a level of surprise at the confrontational approach that has largely guided its actions to date — including increased sanctions toward Beijing and some of its officials. Of concern to many business leaders, however, has been the lack of a clear agenda on trade, investment and tariff policies toward China, harming the prospects of US companies who seek to do business with the world’s second-largest economy. With almost a year to review, has a baseline been established for what is to be expected in the coming three years? In what ways has Biden’s overall foreign policy approach differ from the previous administration? When can business leaders expect a clearer picture on the administration’s trade and investment policies toward China?
- Anna Ashton, Vice President, Government Affairs, US-China Business Council
- Daniel Russel, Vice President, International Security and Diplomacy, Asia Society Policy Institute
- Dr. Huiyao Wang, Founder & President, Center for China and Globalization
- Moderator: Robert Delaney, North America Bureau Chief, South China Morning Post
Starts 2 min before the session time
Chinese regulators have been involved in near-continuous campaigns targeting the country’s tech giants since last winter when government bodies were tasked with curbing a “disorderly expansion of capital”. Labelled as a short-term cost that must be paid to ensure the healthy long-term growth of the digital economy, the ensuing crackdown has wiped more than US$1 trillion off Chinese tech stocks, leaving rattled investors trying to guess what regulators might do next. What are the long-term repercussions both domestically in China and to the international community? How should investors be shifting their strategies around the Chinese tech sector? How much more could come down the pipeline, and which industries could be in the crosshairs? How are Chinese tech companies changing their strategies to adhere to this new reality?
- Kevin T. Carter, Founder, EMQQ; CEO, Big Tree Capital
- Joyce Chang, Chair of Global Research, J.P. Morgan
- Wendy Chen, Founder & CIO, Sigmoid Capital
- Moderator: Robert Delaney, North America Bureau Chief, South China Morning Post
Dr. Da Wei, Deputy Director of the Center for International Strategy and Security at Tsinghua University, joins the conference to discuss how Chinese experts are currently assessing the current state of the US-China relationship. The discussion will analyse why the relationship between the US and China remains about as tense and contentious as it was during the final months of the Trump Administration. While the US and China have engaged each other at high levels, fundamental and seemingly irreconcilable differences around a host of issues — including trade, technology, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the South China Sea, among others — remain evident.
Starts 2 min before the session time
US Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent trip to Singapore and Vietnam was seen by many as a firm signal to the ASEAN region that the US has an enduring commitment to the region — a welcome sign of renewed focus by the Biden administration in the South China Sea. Recognizing that the Indo-Pacific has become a vital strategic and economic region, the US will seek to preserve diplomatic stability while countering China’s influence in the region. US officials have stressed, however, that there is no intent on forcing regional countries to pick a side, accounting for regional countries’ disinterest in a ‘zero sum’ mentality between Beijing and Washington. As the US seeks to increase influence in the region, what strategies are likely to be implemented and how will this impact regional diplomacy? What are the economic benefits being sought? Does an increased presence in Southeast Asia increase the likelihood of conflict between Washington and Beijing?
- Michael D. Swaine, Director, East Asia Program, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
- Susan A. Thornton, Senior Fellow, Paul Tsai China Center, Yale Law School
- Amb. Kurt Tong, Former US Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau; Partner, The Asia Group
- Moderator: Mark Magnier, US Correspondent, South China Morning Post
Starts 2 min before the session time
Trade conflict, bilateral tensions, the threat of technology decoupling and disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic have coalesced to drive US and Chinese companies to diversify their supply chains to Southeast Asia. While many businesses are still tethered to China for their production to varying degrees, a new “China +1” strategy has emerged. In fact, ASEAN has become China’s top trade partner, surpassing the US and the European Union. China’s addition to RCEP and its application to join the CPTPP has only further solidified the growing importance of the ASEAN region. Meanwhile, US policymakers know that developing a level of supply chain capacity outside of China, while providing aid and expertise to ASEAN nations and businesses, ensures soft power and political relationships are maintained with partners in the region. Which ASEAN nations have the most fertile ground for growth and investment? How does a reluctance to join the CPTPP impact US trade relationships in the region? What are the key challenges that come with shifting supply chains from China to ASEAN countries? What does all of this mean for China’s “One Belt One Road” initiative?
- Sourabh Gupta, Head, Trade & Tech Program, Institute for China-America Studies
- Dr. Mary E. Lovely, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Dr. Joshua P. Meltzer, Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution
- Moderator: Owen Churchill, US Correspondent, South China Morning Post
Starts 2 min before the session time
While conflicting views and competing interests are largely at the forefront of the US-China relationship, there is at least one vector that seems an obvious avenue for bilateral collaboration — the fight against climate change. And while the two countries released a joint statement agreeing to cooperate in curbing climate change with urgency earlier this year, meaningful cooperation has been almost non-existent since. With climate change being a key priority in the Biden administration strategy to rebuild US soft power and global leadership credentials, some experts worry that rather than facilitating bilateral cooperation, climate change could be utilised as yet another effort in countering China’s global influence. To what degree is a collaborative effort between the two countries genuine? What are the key opportunities where collaboration can be meaningful? What do these efforts mean to the global economic landscape? Could we see climate change-related policies become politicised in a way that actually hinders the overall effort for meaningful change?
- Dr. Joanna Lewis, Provost's Distinguished Associate Professor & Director - Science, Technology and International Affairs Program, Georgetown University
- Dr. Scott Moore, Director of China Programs & Strategic Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania
- Taiya Smith, Senior Associate, E3G
- Moderator: Robert Delaney, North America Bureau Chief, South China Morning Post
Session details to be announced soon
As mainland China reasserts control over its powerful private enterprises, US investors in Chinese stocks have had to reckon with an often glossed-over risk: the fact that they do not technically own the companies. Beijing’s recent crackdown on its US$100 billion tutoring industry included a ban on companies using variable interest entities (VIEs) — holding companies designed to elude strict rules that forbid foreign investors from ownership in China’s key sectors. While it was the first time China has prohibited a sector from using VIEs, the move has forced investors to face the prospect that a ban could be introduced in other sectors. Can US investors trust their holdings in Chinese stocks ever again? How would further VIE restrictions impact Wall Street? Despite uncertainties, what are the benefits to investing through a VIE structure? Are there any positives that could come from further scrutiny on VIE structures?
- Marcia Ellis, Partner & Global Chair, Private Equity Group, Morrison & Foerster
- Liqian Ren, Director of Modern Alpha, WisdomTree Asset Management
- Anne Stevenson-Yang, Managing Principal, J Capital Research
- Moderator: Eugene Tang, Business Editor, South China Morning Post
How can women in China and the United States increase dialogue and expand exchanges within organizations, universities and companies to increase cooperation and opportunities? Through the promotion of knowledge sharing and networking in different sectors like technology, finance, retail and non-profit organizations, women can be a vital factor for solving the world's most pressing problems including climate change and violence against women and Asian Americans. Hear from female entrepreneurs and thought leaders about taking steps that increase collaboration between women in the two countries.
- Marianne Bernstein, Photographer & Curator
- Mei Xu, Chief Exectuive Officer, Yes She May
- Susan Yuqing Feng, Editor-in-Chief, Bitpush News
- Moderator: Leslie Wolf-Creutzfeldt, Executive Director, China-US Women's Foundation
What is the future of the Quad Initiative with respect to China? Will this group transition to focus on Indo-Pacific maritime security, or will it remain a general forum addressing transnational issues? How does India perceive China's rise in terms of national security and economic security? This panel of up-and-coming India experts will address the security, business and diplomatic implications of the increasing power of the world’s two most populous nations — and whether it matters that India is associating with democracies like Japan, Australia and the United States.
- Darshana Baruah, Associate Fellow, South Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Dr. Satoru M. Nagao, Non-Resident Fellow, Hudson Institute; Associate, Society of Security and Diplomatic Studies
- Anand Raghuraman, Vice President, The Asia Group
- Moderator: Amb. Kurt Tong, Former US Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau; Partner, The Asia Group
