J. Norwell Coquillard, Executive Director of the WSCRC, was recently quoted in an article by Northwest Asian Weekly entitled, “Biden and China: Guarded Optimism from Local Chinese Leaders.” Coquillard comments that the U.S. and the Biden Administration should work with our allies to “push China to play by established rules”. Ben Zhang, Founder and CEO of Greater Pacific Industries, also a member of the WSCRC, expressed similar hopes. With China’s increasing economic and military power, multilateralism is important for a mutually beneficial U.S.-China relationship and for U.S. companies doing business with China.
Puget Sound Business Journal Honors Two WSCRC Board Members
The Puget Sound Business Journal (PSBJ), the region’s premier business news publication, has recently honored two of WSCRC’s Board Members.
WSCRC’s Board Chairman, Marc Berger, was recently honored as one of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s Top 40 under 40. Started 22 years ago, this program identifies people under the age of 40 who are dynamic leaders in the business community.
In addition to his role as the Chairman of the Washington State China Relations Council, Marc is a Vice President and Partner at Nyhus Communications. Marc oversees approximately 50% of the company’s overall revenue and works on strategic development. Prior to his move to Seattle in 2013, Marc worked for the National Committee on U.S-China Relations.
The PSBJ revealed this week that WSCRC Board Member Dean Jones of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty was named to its list of the 100 most powerful, influential businesspeople in Washington in 2020.
Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty is a Seattle‐based real estate consultancy and brokerage specializing in market research, product development, marketing and sales solutions for new construction, multi‐family, and resale properties of all categories. As CEO, Dean Jones leads the Pacific Northwest’s largest affiliate within the global real estate network.
We congratulate both of our board members on their awards.
Washington State China Relations Fund Announces Fundraising Campaign
(SEATTLE – October 1, 2020) The Washington State China Relations Fund, the charitable arm of the Washington State China Relations Council, has announced its goal of raising $500,000 to support educational programs that promote stronger business, educational and cultural ties between Washington State and China, and within the local Chinese community.
Throughout its 41-year history, the Council has pursued its mission of building and strengthening connections between Washington state and China, offering a crucial platform and voice for a nuanced and informed perspective on how to manage and improve bilateral relations, as well as building bridges for businesses and government agencies on both sides of the Pacific.
With the current tensions in the U.S.-China Relationship, the Council’s critical role is more pronounced than ever. The Council promotes an open and balanced dialogue regarding our relationship with China and works to maintain and strengthen ties with our counterparts in China at the sub-national level. Trade with China represents a large component of Washington’s economy and, barring a massive decoupling of the U.S. and Chinese economies, the importance of China to the state will only increase over time.
The Fund was created to ensure the viability of the programming formerly performed by the Council, and to facilitate a greater involvement in local China-focused efforts. The Fund produces webinars and programs that investigate issues that dominate, affect and are affected by the U.S.-China relationship. The fund also performs charitable activities with a special focus on the Chinese community in Washington state. Recently, the Fund has helped raise funds to support businesses and individuals impacted by COVID-19, and has also imported personal protection equipment that was donated to the City of Seattle and the State of Washington to combat the virus.
Despite the importance of China to businesses and organizations in Washington state, the Council is experiencing financial challenges that threaten its long-term sustainability. Many local companies who had hoped to capitalize on Chinese investment in the state have scaled back their support. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted our members’ ability to support the organization. Therefore, the Council is initiating a campaign to raise $500,000 over the next 24 months. We depend on the support from American citizens, corporations and other organizations to ensure we are able to continue advancing our mission and serving a critical role in the community.
We thank you for your consideration of making a tax-deductible donation to the Washington State China Relations Fund.
Gifts may be made via PayPal, bank transfer or in-kind donations at https://www.wscrf.org/donate/.
To donate by check:
Make Check Payable to Washington State China Relations Fund
Address: 1301 5th Ave, Suite 1500
Seattle, WA 98101
WeChat Banned from App Stores effective September 20
September 18, 2020: The Trump Administration announced today that WeChat is to be banned from U.S. app stores as of Sunday. The ban will restrict the transferring of funds or processing of payments through WeChat within the United States as of Sunday. It will also prevent any provision of internet hosting, content delivery networks, internet transit or peering services to WeChat, or using the app’s code in other software or services in the United States.
Our experts debated the legalities, practicalities, and consequence of a potential ban on WeChat in early September. Listen to the audio of this discussion to learn more about this contentious issue: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/112064309
Our panelists included Nelson Dong, Partner at Dorsey & Whitney and a nationally known expert on export controls and sanctions, Paul Krake, Founder of View from the Peak and Co-founder of the US-China Series, and Kevin Shimota, former WeChat Global Marketing Manager.
Some of the key takeaways are:
- While it won’t be clear until September 20 what the EO’s keyword “transaction” entails, there will be a “structured process” with regards to what is banned and what is not.
- The ban is a microcosm of a number of government policies, including the current administration’s “whole-of-government” approach on national security, efforts at economic decoupling with China, and a mismatch between fast-paced technology innovation and government policies and laws.
- If the ban goes into effect, it will affect small businesses with limited resources much more than big corporations who have lobbying power. This will make U.S. companies’ entry and expansion into the China market more challenging. Chinese businesses in the U.S. that rely on WeChat for their marketing and sales will be severely impacted. In addition, the ban will have tremendous social impact given it serves as a major communications tool for the Chinese diaspora in the U.S.
Questions or Comments? Please email us at info@wscrc.org.
WSCRC’s Executive Director Comments on Senate China Bill
WSCRC’s Executive Director was recently quoted in the Spokane Spokesman Review (August 4) regarding the introduction of a new bill in the Senate written to create a clearer U.S. strategy towards China. The bill, introduced by Senator Jim Risch (R, Idaho), aims to counter China’s trade practices and military build-up, invest in U.S. competitiveness, and bolster alliances and international organizations. Executive Director Coquillard outlined the importance of the Washington State – China trading relationship as well as the value of the cultural exchanges between the two countries. He also stressed that he supports U.S. efforts to bolster alliance building in order to create a unified approach to counter some of China’s more egregious trading practices. A link to the article can be found here.
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