John L. Holden

Senior Associate (Non-resident), Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics
John L. Holden

John L. Holden is a senior associate (non-resident) with the Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is currently managing director and head of the China practice for McLarty Associates. He has over four decades of experience in the private sector and the nonprofit community building bridges between the United States and China. He has managed the China businesses for leading U.S. firms, including Cargill and Hill & Knowlton. He has been chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, founding associate dean of the Yenching Academy of Peking University, and president and CEO of the US-China Strong Foundation. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. In 2017 Holden was recognized for “Outstanding Service and Contribution to Education in China” and received China’s Friendship Award. He received a BA magna cum laude in Chinese language and literature from the University of Minnesota and an MA in the same field from Stanford University.   

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Experts React: China’s Economic Slowdown: Causes and Implications

In response to recent coverage of an impending economic crisis in China, Trustee Chair experts offer their reactions on the structural difficulties in the Chinese economy, solutions to improve the country’s outlook, and the consequences for the United States.

Commentary by Scott Kennedy, Logan Wright, John L. Holden, and Claire Reade — August 30, 2023

Enjoying Jet Lag: Resuming In-Person Travel and U.S.-China Relations

Please join the CSIS Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics for this event featuring recent visitors to China, which will include a discussion of a new report on U.S.-China scholastic exchange and policy recommendations for stabilizing relations. 

Event — April 17, 2023

China at Home and Abroad: Opportunities and Fears

In the first annual conference of Big Data China, China experts in the policy and academic communities discussed China’s economic policy, exit strategies for China’s Covid-19 policy, and potential pathways to improve the US-China relationship.

Event — December 13, 2022

U.S.-China Relations and COVID-19: What Can Be Done Now

The COVID-19 pandemic both highlights the need for Sino-American governmental cooperation and, at the same time, reveals the two countries’ inability to do so. Despite this, American and Chinese industry can step up to address shortages of critical equipment and supplies.

Commentary by John L. Holden — March 20, 2020