Executive Director Jean-Marc F. Blanchard gives keynote speech at 2nd Silicon Valley-Beijing Internet of Things Summit
On January 13, 2018, Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, Executive Director of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations (Wong MNC Center) gave a keynote speech at the 2nd Silicon Valley-Beijing Internet of Things Summit & Investment and Financing Competition on a panel entitled “Design for Manufacturing.” The title of Dr. Blanchard’s speech was “The Political Environment Surrounding Chinese Expansion in Silicon Valley.” In his remarks, Dr. Blanchard discussed political and normative issues at the national, subnational, and societal level that Chinese firms contemplating investing or operating in Silicon Valley must consider. He emphasized companies cannot just focus on Silicon Valley, but also must be aware of actors and the situation in Washington including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. One takeaway of his talk was that Chinese businesses need to establish and preserve their “license to operate” through multi-level, multi-realm action.
