On December 4, AmCham China hosted the sold-out 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Hilton Beijing. The event brought together 200 members and guests to celebrate the achievements of the past year and preview what’s next for the Chamber in 2026.
This year’s AGM was a departure from years past, introducing a more interactive format, beginning with a Chinese drum performance featuring the 2025 Board of Governors. Michael Hart, President of AmCham China, then gave welcome remarks to officially kick off the 2025 AGM.
Following his remarks, AmCham China Chair Alvin Liu, and Vice Chairs Travis Tanner, Min Qin, and Su Cheng Harris-Simpson joined Hart on stage for a panel reflecting on the Chamber’s work over the past year. Liu opened by recognizing the strength and resilience of the AmCham China community, expressing pride in the advocacy, programming, and member services delivered throughout 2025.
Signature Events & Programming
The panelists then shared updates on AmCham China’s 2025 Signature Events and programming.
Appreciation Dinner: Liu reflected on the Government Appreciation Dinner as a major early-year milestone that brought together more than 400 guests, including keynote speakers Vice Premier He Lifeng and Sarah Beran, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy to China. He noted that the event reinforced the Chamber’s role as a bridge for dialogue and marked the 25th anniversary of the first Appreciation Dinner.
Government Affairs Conference: Qin highlighted that the conference drew 100+ GA professionals, launched the 27th annual American Business in China White Paper, and featured a keynote from MOFCOM’s Fan Zhang and panels on navigating US-China dynamics.
Human Resources Conference: Qin shared that the sold-out 26th edition focused on AI, organizational change, and HR’s evolving role, concluding with an executive roundtable featuring three Board members.
China Business Conference: Tanner shared insights from the DC conference, co-hosted with the US Chamber, featuring about 60 speakers and anchoring the annual DC Doorknock.
Social Impact Summit: Tanner shared that nearly 100 participants joined discussions on sustainability at the Summit and that the 2025 Social Impact Report, with 40 case studies, was launched before presenting six Social Impact Awards.
Women’s Summit: Harris-Simpson highlighted a full day of keynotes and panels for 150+ guests, covering leadership, resilience, women’s health, and STEM opportunities.
4th of July: Harris-Simpson also recapped the July 4th community event, which brought together 300+ members and friends for activities, music, and featured remarks from US Ambassador to China David Perdue.
Committee Programming: Harris-Simpson recognized the Chamber’s Committees, which drove more than 300 events across Beijing, Chapters, and online, serving as a key platform for advocacy, information sharing, and professional networking.
Government Engagement
Chinese Government Engagement: Qin summarized the year of more than 100 meetings with Chinese government counterparts, including 35 at ministerial level and above, with agencies such as NDRC, MOF, MOFCOM, and GACC. She highlighted key engagements shown on screen, including meetings with Vice Premier He Lifeng, MOF Vice Minister Liao Min, MOFCOM Vice Minister Li Chenggang, and senior NDRC officials.
US Government Engagement: Tanner then recapped the 2025 DC Doorknock trip, which included 10 congressional office meetings, five think tanks, meetings with five US government agencies, three Senate engagements, and two embassy meetings, including the Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng. He also noted more than 20 additional high-level US government engagements throughout the year, including a February delegation led by Liu and regular interactions with the US Embassy and Consulates. Board member Poh-Yian Koh also joined to share her experience and encouraged members to join next year’s DC Doorknock.
Membership
Harris-Simpson provided an overview of the Chamber’s membership, which remained stable at around 800 companies, including roughly 25% based in Chapter cities, and highlighted the solid contingent of Chairman’s Circle members. She also emphasized the more than 200 one-on-one member meetings, senior-leader engagement activities, visits to member booths at major fairs, and strong attendance at quarterly Member Mixers.
Chapters
Tianjin
Liu reported that Tianjin had a strong year under Chapter Chair Marcus Williams, doubling its corporate partners from three to six, delivering more than 50 events, hosting five signature events, and achieving continued membership growth.
Northeast
Liu shared insights from his recent visit and noted that the Northeast Chapter remains a stronghold for American business. Under Chapter Chair Olive Liu, the team delivered three signature events, including the American Ball in Dalian, and strengthened government-to-business dialogue across the region.
Central China
Liu noted that the Central China Chapter returned to a growth trajectory for the first time in three years, supported by stronger engagement with both Chinese and US government stakeholders, an expanded staff team, and a solid slate of events led by Chapter Chair Steve Carpenter.
Southwest
Southwest Chapter Chair Jeffrey Bernstein shared that the region achieved 18% net membership growth and is nearing the 50-member threshold required for Chapter elections. He highlighted the launch of the Sichuan provincial-level dialogue and two major events with the US Embassy that strengthened regional engagement.
Following the panel, Koh joined once again to introduce a crossword game for attendees, followed by dinner.
Awards
The evening’s award segment began with the presentation of the Pioneer Award, introduced by former recipient and Board member Roberta Lipson. She announced this year’s honoree, former Chair Colm Rafferty, who was recognized for his extensive leadership contributions to the Chamber and the broader business community. Colm’s wife, Carol Li Rafferty, accepted the award on his behalf.
Next, Liu presented the Chair’s Service Award to Marcus Williams, recognizing his long-term leadership within the Tianjin Chapter and his decades of professional experience in aerospace.
Hart then introduced the Chamber’s newest honor, the Outstanding Contribution Award, which was presented to Tony Jiang in recognition of his partnership, support for sponsorship and programs, and his role in arranging key engagements during the DC Doorknock trip.
The Committee of the Year Awards were presented by Qin. The Chinese Government Affairs Committee, the Food & Beverage Committee, and the Tax Committee were honored for their advocacy, programming, responsiveness to member needs, and strong community engagement.
Harris-Simpson then introduced the 2025 Leadership Development Program cohort and presented certificates. Koh returned to lead a second interactive game for attendees, before announcing the winners.
2026 Board of Governors
The Election Committee then announced the results of the 2026 Board of Governors election (click here to see the results). Hart and Liu also recognized the outgoing 2025 Board members for their service and contributions.
The evening closed with members staying to network and continue conversations as the 2025 AGM wrapped up. AmCham China would like to thank all our sponsors from the evening: Intel, FedEx, ConocoPhillips, Synpact, and United Airlines.
