The Program: “U.S.-China Economic Relations: Whither Goest?”. The U.S. administration has taken several actions that have strained the relationship in areas such as trade. China has responded and thus these two very large economies seem to be at odds. What is the likely direction and what will be the impact on the long-term relationship.

Presenter: Henry ‘Hank’ Levine is a Senior Advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group, where he assists clients as they enter and grow in the Chinese market, helping develop and implement winning strategies with the help of an extensive network and partnerships in the Chinese central government. As a senior member of the firm’s China practice, Mr. Levine draws on decades of experience.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Levine was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia. He was responsible for increasing market access for U.S. companies in the economies of East Asia, with an emphasis on China. He served as a lead negotiator for the annual U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade and as an advisor on China trade policy to two U.S. Secretaries of Commerce.

Mr. Levine also served as the U.S. Consul General in Shanghai, China from 1999-2002. In that capacity, he was the most senior U.S. government official in the East China region, at that time an area with a GDP larger than Russia and home of the third-largest American Chamber of Commerce in Asia. As Consul General, he worked closely with Chinese government officials and businesses, local universities, and the U.S. business community. He hosted visiting U.S. government representatives, including (then) President George W. Bush, former Presidents Clinton and Carter and many cabinet secretaries, and managed a Chinese and American staff of 180 people.

Prior to his post in Shanghai, he served as the Deputy Director for Economic Affairs in the State Department’s Office of Chinese Affairs, and in that role was the State Department’s action officer on China’s WTO accession negotiations.

Previously, Mr. Levine served as a Vice Consul at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and as Deputy Chief of the Economic Section and Consul General at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. In that role, he oversaw the operations responsible for processing over 100,000 visa applications a year and for emergency services for American citizens. He has also served as Director for APEC Affairs at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Mr. Levine earned a B.A. in Political Science from Bucknell University and did graduate work in International Affairs at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He graduated with distinction from the U.S. National War College.

He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Mr. Levine is based in Washington, D.C.