U.S.-China Business Leaders Roundtable

Description

World Trade Center Denver and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) invite you or a representative to join an exclusive, closed-door U.S.-China Business Leaders Roundtable on November 6 at WTC Denver. This off-the-record discussion will feature Sarah Beran, Partner at Macro Advisory Partners and former senior U.S. diplomat, as keynote speaker. Beran will share insights on: 

 ·    The current state of China’s economy and the key trends shaping its future  

·    The business climate for American companies operating in China, including opportunities and challenges  

·    The impact of U.S. policies on trade and investment, including those introduced during the Trump administration

Following her remarks, Jeff Popiel (WTC Chairman) will moderate a wide-ranging conversation with Beran and China experts Anna Ashton and Spencer Cohen. Together, they will explore pressing issues in the U.S.-China commercial relationship, including tariffs and the trade war, the role of critical minerals, and shifting supply chain dynamics. 

Participants are encouraged to engage directly with the speakers. A light lunch will be provided.

Agenda: 
·    9:45 AM – Check-in 
·    10:00 AM – Welcome Remarks 
·    10:15 AM – Keynote Remarks by Sarah Beran 
·    10:30 AM – Panel discussion with Anna Ashton, Sarah Beran, and Spencer Cohen 

·    11:15 PM – Q&A
·    12:00 PM – Lunch  

Speakers:  

Sarah Beran joined Macro Advisory Partners following a distinguished 23-year career in the US Foreign Service, most recently serving as deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Beijing and as senior director for China and Taiwan Affairs at the White House National Security Council. 

As the principal advisor to the President and National Security Advisor on China and Taiwan (2022-2024), her portfolio encompassed technology export controls, investment screening, trade policy, counternarcotics, Russia sanctions and Taiwan contingency planning. She led strategic preparations for multiple heads-of-state summits, negotiated the reopening of senior diplomatic channels with Beijing, and helped forge the first US-China understanding on AI safety in the context of nuclear command and control.  

Over the course of her 23-year career in the US Foreign Service, Sarah also served as former US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s Deputy Executive Secretary for the Indo-Pacific, led the office responsible for US engagement in APEC and served as former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs. She was posted overseas in Beijing, Islamabad, Jerusalem and Quito, and she speaks Mandarin, Spanish and Arabic.  

Anna Ashton provides custom analysis and risk assessments for businesses and stakeholders whose interests intersect with China geopolitics and policy. She is also an adjunct professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.   

Prior to founding Ashton Analytics in 2024, Anna served as the interim practice head for the China research team at Eurasia Group, a geopolitical risk consulting firm. In recent years she was also a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute and vice president of government affairs for the US China Business Council, where she lobbied the US government and represented the Council in engagements with the policy community, the press, and the public.  

Anna began her career as a China intelligence officer for the Department of Defense, and later worked for her home state of Arkansas to recruit Asian foreign direct investment. She also spent several years working on US-China economic and commercial issues for the US Chamber of Commerce and the US- China Economic and Security Review Commission, an advisory body for the US Congress. Anna holds a JD from Georgetown Law, an MA in East Asian languages and civilizations from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a BA in Chinese studies from Wellesley College. 

Spencer Cohen is principal and founder of High Peak Strategy LLC, an economics and research consulting firm based in Seattle, Washington specializing in port operations, regional economic analysis, international trade research, and U.S.-China relations. High Peak Strategy LLC works with a diverse range of clients, including ports, economic development organizations, engineering firms, industry and trade associations, and local governments.  

Dr. Cohen is a leading expert in port and trade economics, economic impact modeling, labor market analysis, and regional economic development. He has worked with clients across the U.S. and abroad, including in Washington, California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, and the Asian Development Bank.  

Dr. Cohen has a PhD in geography (economic geography) from the University of Washington, where his research examined land markets and local government finance in China. He has lived, studied, and conducted research in China and has advanced fluency in Mandarin Chinese (spoken and reading). He was a 2021-2023 National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Public Intellectuals Program Fellow and 2023 American Mandarin Society fellow. Spencer serves on the board of the Seattle Economics Council and is an affiliate faculty with the University of Washington’s Department of Geography. He holds a BA in mathematics and history (double major) from the University of Connecticut and an MA in China studies from the University of Washington. 

About the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations  

The National Committee on United States-China Relations is the premier American nonpartisan, educational nonprofit 501(c)(3) focusing on the U.S.'s relationship with greater China, encouraging understanding of China and the United States between citizens of both countries. Its work is made possible through the exclusive support of U.S. entities and American citizens, including private and corporate foundations, corporations, the U.S. Department of State, members, and friends. 

About Subnational Connect 
The Business Leaders Roundtable is one component of Subnational Connect, a Henry Luce Foundation-funded, new NCUSCR initiative that brings together important stakeholders within a specific region of the country to discuss the potential implications of the U.S.'s evolving relationships with China and Taiwan on the local economies and communities. For Subnational Connect—Mountain West, NCUSCR is partnering with several institutions in the greater Denver area to host briefings, roundtable discussions, and public forums.