I recently received the honor of being named to the board of directors of the US-China Business Council (USCBC). I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to contribute to the commercial relationship between the United States and China. The relationship between the two countries is important not only to Dell and other technology companies, but also to a wide cross-section of American manufacturers and service companies. In total, China represents a $300 billion market for American companies. The USCBC has been a critical contributor to the growth of this relationship. USCBC has provided advocacy and leadership for more than 40 years to its members, a group of more than 200 companies that cuts across all sectors.
I’m the only board representative from our industry and I’m looking forward to sharing insights about our space with leaders from companies such as Exxon Mobil, Ford, Wal-Mart, General Electric and Johnson & Johnson. The companies represented on the board share a common mission: to build new opportunities for American businesses across China.
Dell has relied on USCBC for balanced and insightful reporting on government policy developments and operational challenges in China. The organization also has worked closely on behalf of U.S. industry with both Chinese and U.S. Government officials up to the highest levels to eliminate trade and investment barriers. Dell has used USCBC events as a platform to share our point of view and worked with the organization to develop policy positions on improving transparency, promoting mutually beneficial innovation policies, and removing non-tariff barriers to trade.
At a time of heightened tensions between China and the U.S. government, including the current heated political environment following the Department of Justice’s indictment of Chinese military officials for cyber espionage, the USCBC is a neutral and pragmatic voice for U.S. business, with solid relationships in the Chinese Government to help navigate a way forward. Having a strong business partnership with China is critical to Dell and to businesses across American industry. I’m proud to have the opportunity to help build this ongoing relationship in support of driving more economic growth between the U.S. and China.