Assessing the Rapidly Changing Business Environment for Foreign Companies in China

The American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) recently released its annual survey, The China Business Climate Survey (BCS) Report . The survey asks AmCham’s member companies about a variety of factors impacting their investments in China. The BCS Report provides a snapshot of the current sentiment of foreign companies toward the business environment in China.

The companies are surveyed at the end of each year and are asked about their outlook for their businesses’ growth in China in the coming year. The companies surveyed in the report covered four main sectors: Technology and R&D, Resources and Industrial, Consumer, and Services. In the 2023 survey, respondents focused heavily on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S.-China tensions, and the changing regulatory and policy environment, among other factors impacting the business environment in China.

Join us on April 5 to hear the President of the AmCham China discuss the key findings of the report, particularly the impact of the increased U.S.-China tensions and how they impact American companies operating in the Middle Kingdom.

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SPEAKER

Michael Hart, President, the American Chamber of Commerce in China

Michael Hart is President of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China), based in Beijing. He has over 25 years of business experience in Asia, including more than 20 years in mainland China. As President, Michael oversees all advocacy, programs, partnerships, and insights provided by the Chamber to support the business growth of nearly 1,000 foreign corporations operating in China, including most of the US Fortune 500.

Prior to joining AmCham China, Michael spent most of his career in commercial real estate in Taipei, Shanghai, and Tianjin, including almost 20 years for NYSE-listed property services firm, JLL. He started in the research division briefing real estate owners, occupiers, and investors on transactions and macro trends, before opening, building, and leading a company branch office in Tianjin, one of China’s largest cities, for over a decade. Following this, Michael opened a private consulting and investment firm that invested in quick service restaurants, among other projects.

In addition to this work, Michael has been a long-term AmCham China member and served on the Tianjin Chapter’s Executive Committee for nearly 15 years, including several terms as Chair.  Michael holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia in the US. He is a fluent speaker of Mandarin Chinese. Michael was born and raised near Kansas City, Missouri.

MODERATOR

Nelson Dong, Of Counsel, Dorsey & Whitney

Nelson Dong is an Of Counsel in the Seattle office of the Dorsey & Whitney law firm and heads its National Security Law Group. He advises companies, professional societies, universities and research organizations on export controls, economic sanctions, national security and international trade and investment matters. He is also an author and teacher on international technology law issues.

Nelson was a White House Fellow and U.S. Justice Department official in the Carter Administration responsible for international and national security matters and was a federal prosecutor in Boston. He has been an export control policy advisor to the U.S. Commerce Department and served over a decade as a director of the National Committee on US-China Relations in New York City. He is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu and a director of the Washington State China Relations Council in Seattle and an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Committee of 100. Nelson is a graduate of Stanford University and the Yale Law School and has served as a trustee of Stanford University.