Hong Kong – March 31, 2022 –The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (AmCham HK) announced today the appointment of Dr. Eden Woon as President beginning September 1, 2022. Dr. Woon is an experienced business and academic leader who also served many years in government and NGOs.

Dr. Woon has been the President of the Asian Institute of Technology, an international graduate university outside Bangkok, since 2018. From 2010 to 2017, he was Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Between 2006 and 2010, Dr. Woon was based in Shanghai, where he was Managing Director of Li & Fung Group’s China Corporate Office and Managing Director of Toys “R” Us China. He was also Vice President of Starbucks Coffee Company in China. From 1997 to 2006, Dr. Woon served as CEO of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.

A U.S. citizen and fluent speaker of both Mandarin and Cantonese, Dr. Woon spent his childhood in Hong Kong and received his BA degree from the University of Iowa and his MA, MS, and PhD degrees, all in Mathematics, from the University of Washington in Seattle. He retired from the US Air Force in 1993 with the rank of Colonel.

Dr. Woon served as the Executive Director of the Washington State China Relations Council from 1994 to 1997. The WSCRC congratulates Dr. Woon on his new role.

The U.S. China Business Council (USCBC), in coordination with the WSCRC, has interviewed a number of WSCRC member companies to understand the importance of the China market to these firms, as part of its “50 States, 50 Stories” initiative. The third of the Washington State story is with the Greater Pacific Industries. In the interview, Ben Zhang, Founder and CEO of the company shared his success stories and the challenges they are facing due to the decline of U.S.-China relationship.

Read the full article “Serial Entrepreneur Says Nobody Wins a Trade War“.

The WSCRC congratulates Nelson Dong, a board member and former Chairman of the Washington State China Relations Council, on being selected by the Puget Sound Business Journal as one of their eight “Directors of Year” for 2021. The board members are recognized for their outstanding contributions to a range of companies and non-profits across the region and beyond.

The PJBJ noted that “these directors have helped navigate their companies through challenging times. They were nominated by their peers as standout board members and leaders and include members of corporate and nonprofit boards”.

In selecting Nelson as one of the “Directors of the Year”, the paper cited Nelson’s continuing service to the Washington State China Relations Council and in particular his efforts to have the Council adjust and adapt with the onset of the pandemic. Nelson has been instrumental in the Council’s move to producing well-recognized webinars on China related topics that impact our community from the introduction of the new national security law in Hong Kong to the rise of Asia Hate Crimes in the Puget Sound Region. Nelson, in his role a member of the Council’s Executive Committee and Government Affairs Committee has helped to raise the profile of the Council and increase its influence.

Read the PSBJ’s full story “Nelson Dong: ‘Now, more than ever, U.S. businesses need to remain active in their various trade associations'”