Each year, AmCham China brings a delegation of China-based executives to Washington, DC to listen, learn, and share perspectives from the ground. This week offers a unique opportunity to better understand how US policymaking maps to the realities of doing business in China.
On Sunday evening, we hosted the delegates to a welcome dinner to launch the 2025 DC Doorknock. The evening featured thought-provoking discussions with two distinguished guests from The Cohen Group: Secretary William Cohen and Ambassador Craig Allen.
Cohen, who was the US Secretary of Defense from 1997 to 2001, offered reflections on shifting political dynamics in the US, while Allen shared his perspective on recent diplomatic engagements as well as lessons from the recently announced trade agreement with the UK.
Day One
On Monday, we kicked off the week with a familiar tradition: a breakfast discussion led by David Finkelstein from the Center for Naval Analyses, hosted at the WilmerHale offices. The conversation provided useful context on current US strategic thinking, touching on broader themes such as shifting priorities under the new administration, ongoing challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, and the evolving nature of US-China competition.
Next, our group met with David Thomas and Richard Harper of the US-China Business Council (USCBC) for a candid conversation on the evolving landscape of US-China economic engagement. The discussion explored how recent policy shifts in Washington are impacting the business community and how US companies are navigating the evolving situation.
For lunch, the group visited the RAND Corporation for a discussion with Jude Blanchette, Gerard DiPippo, Jimmy Goodrich, Daniel Markus, and John Czin. The exchange provided insight into the evolving US-China dynamic, with particular attention to trade policy, export controls, and geopolitical signaling.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited the US-China Economic & Security Review Commission (USCESRC) offices for an engaging dialogue with Commissioners Reva Price, Cliff Sims, Jonathan Stivers, Michael Kuiken, and Livia Shmavonian.
The final meeting of the day was with Sara Schuman, Tim Wineland, Andrew Devine, Alex Martin, and Shelly Zhao at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), where the group discussed the implications of the newly released Joint Statement on the US-China Economic and Trade Meeting in Geneva and the 90-day tariff suspension by both sides.
The delegates wrapped up a busy first day at the opening reception of the China Business Conference at the US Chamber of Commerce. The China Business Conference, now in its 15th year, is co-hosted by AmCham China and the US Chamber of Commerce, and is the premier forum in the United States – and one of the premier forums globally – for exchanging ideas on US-China economic and commercial relations, including economic, political, and regulatory developments affecting American business in China.
Day Two
On Day Two, our Chamber delegation joined the first full day of the 15th Annual China Business Conference, co-hosted by AmCham China and the US Chamber of Commerce.
AmCham China President Michael Hart and the US Chamber’s China Center President Jeremie Waterman both gave opening remarks welcoming attendees to the annual Conference. Following that, Hart joined the first panel The Changing Operating Landscape in the China Market: Perspectives on China’s Foreign Business Climate with Travis Tanner, AmCham China Vice Chair and Senior Managing Director & President of GreenPoint Group, an Ankura company; Eric Zheng, President of AmCham Shanghai; and Bill Zarit, Senior Counselor at The Cohen Group, as the panel’s moderator.
The rest of the day featured a series of high-level discussions tackling the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the US-China commercial relationship. Topics included the geopolitics of economic and military decoupling, the state of the Chinese economy, and the lasting effects of the trade war. Experts also assessed China’s industrial ambitions under Made in China 2025, the growing stakes in tech competition, and the global race for supremacy in emerging sectors like AI, quantum, and biotech.
Day Three
To close the day, delegates were welcomed to the residence of Chinese Ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, for a dinner reception.
Day Four
On Day Four, the AmCham China delegation took to Capitol Hill for a full day of meetings with members of Congress and their staff.
Dividing into two teams, delegates met with nine Congressional offices across the Senate and House to share ground-level perspectives from US businesses operating in China. Discussions centered on the current operating environment, key challenges facing American firms, and opportunities to deepen bilateral engagement through future Congressional delegations (CODELs) and expanded people-to-people exchanges.
Meetings on Capitol Hill included:
- Senator Steve Daines (R-MT)
- Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ)
- Representative Rick Larsen (D-WA)
- Representative Keith Self (R-TX)
- Office of Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE)
- Office of Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
- Office of Senator Todd Young (R-IN)
- Office of Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA)
- Office of Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI)
- House Select Committee on the CCP (Staff Briefing
To close out the day, delegates joined AmCham China friends and alumni for a reception hosted by GreenPoint Group and Ankura.
Day Five
On the final day of the DC Doorknock, the delegation concluded a week of high-level engagement with a series of meetings across government agencies, embassies, and think tanks, deepening understanding of policy perspectives shaping the US-China relationship.
The full delegation met with Ambassador Lui Tuck Yew at the Embassy of Singapore. Drawing on his prior postings in China and Japan, as well as his experience as a former minister and navy chief, Ambassador Lui offered a regional perspective on China’s evolving role and the importance of dialogue among stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region.
At the US Department of State, delegates met with Rob Garverick, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Policy and Negotiations, alongside additional senior officials.
Next, the delegation visited the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) for a working lunch hosted by Scott Kennedy, Senior Adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics. Joining the discussion were:
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Ilaria Mazzocco, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Trustee Chair
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Julia Howe, Director of Government Affairs, Qualcomm
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Brian Hart, Deputy Director and Fellow, China Power Project, CSIS
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Kelsey Broderick, Director, International Corporate Affairs, East Asia, Walmart
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Noriko Okamoto, Vice President and Business Unit Lead, Corporate Affairs and Government & Industry Relations, American Honda
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Emma Rafaelof, Senior Manager of Global Policy, Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA)
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William Alan Reinsch, Senior Adviser and Scholl Chair Emeritus in International Business, CSIS
In the afternoon, delegates split into two groups for briefings at the US Department of Commerce and the US Department of the Treasury.
At Commerce, the delegation met with:
- Duncan Willson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for China and Mongolia
- Jenny May, Director, Office of China and Mongolia
- Suzanne Platt, China Desk Officer, Energy & Environmental Technologies
- Everett Wakai, Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs, US Embassy Beijing
At Treasury, the second group of delegates met with:
- Lailee Moghtader, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade and Investment
- Joe Dickson, Director of the Office of East Asia & the Pacific
- Mirea Grotz, Director of the Office of Trade and Investment Policy
- Tyler Makepeace, International Economist, Office of East Asia
The final meeting of the Doorknock took place at the National Security Council, where delegates met with Ivan Kanapathy, Senior Director for Asia, along with colleagues Bryan Burack and Bolton Ford.
And that’s a wrap on the 2025 DC Doorknock! The week-long engagement gave delegates an invaluable chance to gain deeper insight into how US policymaking impacts the practical realities of operating a business in China. As the bilateral relationship continues to evolve, engagement like this remains essential.