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Christopher Adams

Christopher Adams advises clients on matters involving China and the region. A non-lawyer, Chris served as the Senior Coordinator for China Affairs at the Treasury Department. He coordinated China policy issues across the U.S. government, led negotiations with China on a broad range of trade and investment issues, managed the highest level U.S.-China economic policy dialogues for the Obama and Trump administrations, and advised the Treasury Secretary and other cabinet officials.

Chris helped develop and implement U.S. trade policy toward China with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) from 2007 to 2015 as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for China Affairs, Senior Policy Advisor to the Deputy USTR, and Minister Counselor for Trade Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, USTR’s first representative in China.

Chris directed government affairs, public relations, and corporate marketing in China for the Eastman Kodak Company from 2001 to 2006 as Chief Representative for China; Vice President, North Asia Region; and Director, Olympic Programs. During this time, Chris was elected to four consecutive terms as a Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in China and served on the Chamber’s Public Policy Development Committee.

Chris assisted companies with market access issues as a commercial officer in the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service in Beijing and Taipei, from 1993 to 2001. Before joining the Commerce Department, Chris managed media relations and information programs with the American Institute in Taiwan and directed business advisory services at a private trade association in Washington, DC.

Five years ago today, Xiyue Wang was unjustly detained in Iran while conducting research there for his Ph.D. dissertation. We and others at Covington were honored to participate in the global advocacy campaign that culminated in Mr. Wang’s release in December 2019. Here, for the first time publicly, we discuss
Continue Reading Helping Secure Freedom for Former Iran Hostage Xiyue Wang

Before the new administration takes office, we may well see further US actions on China during the transition that will be hard to reverse. The Trump Administration has invested great effort to reorient US China policy and may try to lock in its approach that sees the Chinese Communist Party
Continue Reading US-China Economic Relations in a Biden Administration

As tensions continue to rise between China and the United States, the Chinese government has taken a step forward in actualizing the “Unreliable Entity List,” first announced by China’s Ministry of Commerce on May 31, 2019, following the addition of Huawei and affiliates to the U.S. Commerce Department’s “Entity List.”
Continue Reading China Issues Regulations to Advance Implementation of Its “Unreliable Entity List”

It has been publicly reported that discussions are underway within the Trump Administration for a coordinated interagency initiative to remove key industrial supply chain dependencies from overseas, especially China, and redouble efforts to secure such supply chains in the United States. While this initiative proceeds alongside ongoing efforts to secure
Continue Reading Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Regarding the Trump Administration’s Push to Secure Supply Chains in the United States/New Interagency Effort Aimed at Expanding Sectors, Measures

On January 15, 2020, President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He signed the much-anticipated “Phase One” trade agreement between the U.S. and China. Set to take effect no later than February 14, 2020, the “Economic and Trade Agreement Between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of
Continue Reading U.S.-China “Phase One” Trade Deal

President Trump last Friday announced tentative agreement on the first installment of a possible multi-stage deal to end the year and a half trade war between the United States and China. “The deal I just made with China is, by far, the greatest and biggest deal ever made for our
Continue Reading U.S.-China Trade Truce Leaves Considerable Uncertainty for Global Business

As was widely predicted, and perhaps predictable, Presidents Trump and Xi have agreed, again, to restart trade negotiations.  President Trump says things are re-starting “where they left off.”  Relieved that the talks netted agreement not to impose new tariffs, some easing of the administration’s ban on U.S. sales to tech
Continue Reading The Trump-Xi “Truce”– Mirage, or Path To a Worthwhile Deal

President Trump tweeted out on Sunday what sounds like good news:  based upon “substantial progress“ in trade negotiations with China, he was postponing a March 2 increase from ten to twenty-five percent tariffs on some $200 billion in U.S. imports from China.  The President even declared expectations of further progress
Continue Reading Tariff-Man Holds His Fire, For Now

On December 1, during a working dinner meeting in Buenos Aires following the G20 Summit, U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to temporarily ease trade tensions as both sides continue negotiating over longer-term solutions to U.S. concerns about bilateral economic relations.

According to a White
Continue Reading Reprieve in U.S.-China Trade Tensions: U.S. tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports to stay at 10 percent for 90 days; China to purchase U.S. goods

On September 17, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released its final list of approximately $200 billion in Chinese imports subject to an additional ad valorem tariff. The final list, which covers 5,745 product categories, will take effect on September 24, 2018. The tariff rate will initially be
Continue Reading U.S. Releases Final List of Tariffs on $200 Billion in Chinese Imports