Policy Briefing Series: Assessing Media Coverage of the US-China Trade War

Speaker: Phillip Yin, Managing Director of Newsroom Investments

On June 20, 2018, the Washington State China Relations Council convened this year’s fifth session of the Policy Briefing Series with a presentation from Phillip Yin in Seattle, WA. An experienced strategist, portfolio manager and global journalist, Mr. Yin has anchored for major US and China-based news networks including CNBC, Bloomberg News and CGTN America. Mr. Yin utilized his insider’s perspective on news media to assess the influence of current media trends and narratives on perceptions of the US-China trade crisis.

Mr. Yin explained that in his experience, the importance of maintaining a balanced business perspective in the US-China trade dialogue cannot be overstated. “Business people from both China and the US need to speak up, do business together, and clarify the facts.” While Yin noted that the inflammatory rhetoric employed by media is extremely effective in swaying public opinion, he believes that a strong voice from business leaders who rely on factually grounded data will eventually change the tide of public perception on both sides of the border.

Summary Author: Trudy Boothman