Exploring the U.S.-China Business Landscape with Tim Stratford

A year into the Biden Administration’s tenure in office, seemingly little has changed in U.S.-China trade dynamics. The Trump-era tariffs remain, the Phase One Trade Agreement remains largely unrealized, the United States continues to embrace an increasingly restrictive approach to its trade and investment relationship with China, and virtually all of the core issues apparently remain “stuck” and largely unresolved. With the Biden Administration’s trade policy still under view more than a year into this term, some have characterized the Biden Administration’s approach to trade with China as, in essence, a fifth year of Trump Administration policies. As we enter the second year of President Biden’s term, where does the U.S.-China relationship appear to be going?

Host David Firestein, President and CEO of the Bush China Foundation, is joined by guest Tim Stratford to explore these questions.

Tim Stratford is managing partner in Covington & Burling LLP’s Beijing office. His practice is focused on advising international clients doing business in China and assisting Chinese companies seeking to expand their businesses globally. As a former Assistant United States Trade Representative (USTR) responsible for trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, Mr. Stratford is the most senior former U.S. official working as a member of the U.S. business community in China.  Except for the five years he spent in Washington at USTR, Mr. Stratford has lived and worked continuously in the greater China region since 1982, including as minister-counselor for Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and as general counsel for General Motors China operations.