This online discussion was the second collaboration between the Club of Three and Washington DC-based Stimson Center. It involved 25 senior participants from the United States, Europe and China from the fields of business, finance and diplomacy.
President Trump’s sweeping tariffs have sent shockwaves through global markets, unsettling allies and competitors alike. These measures triggered a cascade of negotiations aimed at reshaping international trade relations and redefining the geopolitical landscape. But is this strategy delivering its intended results? Will it weaken or bolster China’s position in the Asia-Pacific and in its relations with Europe? And can Europe chart an independent course as a defender of free trade in an increasingly fractured global order?
This joint event examined the far-reaching implications of U.S. tariff policy and explored both the strategic risks and potential opportunities emerging from this pivotal moment in global trade.
The discussion was moderated by Isabel Hilton OBE, Visiting Professor at King’s College London; Contributing Editor at Prospect Magazine, and Founder of the China Dialogue, with opening remarks by Michael Maclay, Club of Three Chairman, and Brian Finlay, President and CEO of the Stimson Center.
The main speakers were:
*Kevin Allison, President of Minerva Technology Policy Advisors; Former Senior Advisor and Vice President, Albright Stonebridge Group
*Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki, Associate Researcher, Jacques Delors Institute in Paris, and Trade Policy Advisor at International Trade Intelligence
*Professor Lanxin Xiang, Distinguished Fellow, Stimson Center; Professor Emeritus, Graduate Institute of International Development Studies (Geneva); and Director at the Center for One Belt, One Road Studies
Participants included: Sébastien Piednoir (Economic Counselor, French Embassy Washington D.C); Uwe Michel (Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Allianz Group); Dr. Xinghai Fang (Former Vice Chairman, China Securities Regulatory Commission); Edward Howard (Head of Intelligence, Vodafone); Stéphane Levy (Senior Advisor, Geopolitics & Political Analysis, Equinor UK); Dr. Yinhong Shi (Professor of International Relations, Renmin University, Beijing); Thomas Nienaber (Managing Director, MKP Advisors, London); Ambassador (Ret) Michael Schaefer (Advisor, BMW Foundation); Julian Mueller-Kaler (Director, Strategic Foresight Hub, Stimson Center); Laela Pakpour Tabrizi (Director, Consumer Converged Finance, Virgin Media O2); Guy de Jonquières (Senior Fellow, European Centre for International Political Economy); and Uwe Hanneck (Deputy Chairman, German Industry UK).