Asia Society Southern California
China Economy: Macro Trends and
Business Strategies

Speakers Bio

William Zarit
Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs, American Embassy
Beijing

William Zarit is Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs at the American Embassy in Beijing. Prior to his present position he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Commercial Service, overseeing Commercial Sections in U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide. The U.S. Commercial Service is the federal government’s front line trade agency, promoting U.S. exports and protecting U.S. commercial interests overseas.

Mr. Zarit previously served as the U.S. Commercial Service’s Regional Director for East Asia/Pacific. He was Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Deputy Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and Deputy Senior Commercial Officer at the American Institute in Taiwan.

Before joining the U.S. Commercial Service Mr. Zarit was Economic and Commercial Program Officer for the New York-based National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. Prior to that he served as Marketing Manager/China for the California-based telecommunications firm Pacific Telesis International, preceded by his work as Project Manager for the high-tech marketing firm China Business Associates, both positions based in Beijing. Mr. Zarit also served as Mandarin Chinese Interpreter for State Department Language Services.

He earned an M.B.A. with Honors from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. with Honors in Political Science from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

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