How can American companies continue to thrive in the Chinese market? How can the U.S. and China find ways to prosper together beyond 2020?  USHCA is honored to host Craig Allen, President of the US – China Business Council, and Albert Xie, Vice President Public Policy and Government Relations GM China, with moderator Liza Mark from Haynes Boone, in this dialogue focused on these important questions.Â
This event is in close collaboration with the US-China Business Council.
This event is part of USHCA’s ongoing series, The Way Forward, where we discuss different ideas and initiatives used by the US and China and how they can be applied to the Heartland region.
Panelists
Craig Allen
President
U.S. - China Business Council
Craig Allen
President, US-China Business Council
On July 26, 2018, Craig Allen began his tenure as the sixth President of the United States-China Business Council (USCBC), a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization representing over 200 American companies doing business with China.
Prior to joining USCBC, Craig had a long, distinguished career in US public service.
His last government position was as US Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam (December 2014–July 2018).
Before that, Craig served in Washington as Deputy Assistant Secretary for China (2012–2014) in the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA), and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia (2010–2012).
He served previously as Senior Commercial Officer at the US Embassy in South Africa (2006–2010), and as Senior Commercial Officer at the US Embassy in Beijing (2003–2006). When in Beijing, he was promoted to Minister Counselor rank in the Senior Foreign Service.
While on a foreign service assignment to the National Center for APEC in Seattle (2000–2002), Craig worked on APEC summits in Brunei, China, and Mexico.
Earlier posts were as Deputy Senior Commercial Officer and Commercial Attaché at the US Embassy in Tokyo (1995–2000), as Commercial Attaché at the US Embassy in Beijing (1992–1995), and as Director of the American Trade Center in Taipei (1988–1992). He started his career in government in 1985 as a Presidential Management Intern in ITA at the Department of Commerce.
Craig received a M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University (1985), and a B.A. in Political Science and Asian Studies from the University of Michigan (1979).
Albert Xie
Vice President, Public Policy and Government Relations
GM China
Albert Xie
Albert Xie was appointed vice president, Public Policy and Government Relations, for GM China, effective February 7, 2014.
Based in Beijing, he is responsible for building and maintaining GM’s strong relationship with key government agencies, interpreting China’s political environment to support management decisions, promoting GM’s corporate image, and fostering strong relationships with GM’s partners to enhance its government relations strategies.
Xie joined GM after a 17-year career with General Electric in China. He most recently served as general manager, China Government Affairs, for GE Aviation. He also held several leadership roles in sales at GE.
Xie has a Bachelor of Science degree from the Beijing Aeronautical Institute and a master’s degree in business administration from the China Program of City University in Seattle, Washington
Moderator
Liza Mark
Partner, Haynes and Boone, LLP
Shanghai Office
Liza Mark
Liza Mark started the Shanghai office of Haynes and Boone, LLP, an international corporate law firm, in 2013 and is the administrative partner of the office. She is a partner in the Capital Markets and Securities Practice Group and regularly works in the firm’s Shanghai and Dallas offices. Liza has been working at U.S. firms in the U.S., Hong Kong and Shanghai for more than 20 years. She is familiar with the legal environments of these three countries and is able to help her clients fulcrum between the different business environments. She has concentrated her practice in private equity investments, securities and cross-border M&A.
She represents investors, issuers, and investment banks/financial intermediaries in financing transactions, including equity and debt public offerings and cross-border private placements in Hong Kong, India and the U.S. Liza is experienced in private placements of debt and equity securities, Asian in-bound equity offerings, Rule 144A offerings, medium term note programs, SPAC acquisitions, PIPEs, and Hong Kong IPOs. She also regularly advises clients regarding private equity investments, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and U.S. public company securities law reporting and compliance.
Liza has deep experience in the clean technology, energy, transportation and logistics, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact industries. She has worked closely with foreign private issuers in their securities offerings in the United States and the Hong Kong markets.
She holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a B.S. in Accounting and Finance, Indiana University Bloomington, 1995, summa cum laude, with honors.