“We are honored that the Ambassador can join us to address our Breakfast meeting. The companies and government officials attending represent the best of globalization and cooperation between American and Chinese enterprise and government,” said Steve Handschuh, president and COO of AASA. “The AASA China Aftermarket Forum members represent the world’s best automotive aftermarket suppliers serving the Chinese market.”
Locke assumed his current role as ambassador to China on Aug. 1. He formerly served as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the Obama administration, a post he had held since March 26, 2009.
At the Department of Commerce, Locke was the administration’s point person for achieving the president’s National Export Initiative, which seeks to double U.S. exports by 2015. During his tenure, the United States recorded a 17 percent increase in exports compared to 2009.
Locke also led the administration’s first Cabinet-level trade mission – a clean energy mission to China and Indonesia in May 2010, while the Commerce Department led an unprecedented 35 trade missions overall. Locke has co-chaired two sessions of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade that resulted in important changes to Chinese trade policy, helping to level the playing field for U.S. businesses exporting to and operating in China.
The AASA China Aftermarket Forum Breakfast and Briefing will be held from 7:30-9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Kerry Hotel, Shanghai. The program also will include comments from Steve Handschuh, AASA president and COO, and Alex Ashmore, director, Aftermarket Asia Pacific, TRW Automotive.
The AASA China Aftermarket Forum includes representatives of top international automotive aftermarket suppliers who manage their respective companies operations in the People’s Republic of China.
The Forum meets quarterly in Shanghai and its key initiatives include:
- The quarterly “How’s Business” member
trends survey
- Market Research
- Customer/Distribution Chain
- Trade Show Evaluations and
Coordination
- Anti-counterfeiting
- Aftermarket Career Image
- Remanufacturing
- Employee retention
