A major attraction for the U.S. and other Western firms seeking to capture a meaningful share of China’s rapidly growing consumer and industrial markets has been the ability to reach more than a billion new consumers. In addition, as a factory for the rest of the world, China has served as a cost-effective manufacturing platform, producing goods for the U.S. and other markets across the globe. Since opening up in the 1980s, China has become fully embedded in the global supply chain for everything from smart phones to automobiles. Recently, however, the so-called “trade war” between the U.S. and China has started to change the situation in some fundamental ways. Driven by national security concerns, as well as complaints about issues such as intellectual property violations and forced technology transfer, many U.S. firms appear to be engaged in a “re-think” about sustaining their presence in China – with some even contemplating reshoring some of their critical operations. As these and related matters (such as the issue of Taiwan) cast a cloud over the bilateral relationship, there are now many uncertainties about the prospects for the type of full engagement that existed in the past.

As President of the U.S.-China Business Council, Craig Allen is right in the middle of addressing these issues daily in China. During this webinar, Mr. Allen will give a 30-minute presentation sharing his expert insights on U.S.-China relations and what it means for U.S. firms. Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A open to the audience facilitated by Dr. Denis Simon, clinical professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

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• global business 160