Monday, July 21, 2025 | 2:00 PM EDT
Smart Rabbits: American Small Businesspeople, Trade Wars, and the Future of U.S.-China Relations looks at how small businesses navigate the intricate web of U.S.-China relations. Author Douglas Barry captures the voices of entrepreneurs whose daily lives reflect the larger narrative of economic interdependence and geopolitical tension, profiling American small business owners who forge connections, foster trade, and find innovative solutions despite trade wars, policy shifts, and cultural barriers. The book offers insights into how small businesses are affected by and influence global politics, and provides fresh perspectives on the U.S.-China relationship and why bilateral cooperation matters.
In an interview conducted on July 21, 2025, Douglas Barry, in conversation with Min Fan, discusses how small businesses are shaping the future of U.S.-China relations.
Speaker
Douglas Barry
Douglas Barry is a strategic communications expert and educator with experience in international trade, higher education, and non-profit advocacy. He was vice president of communications at the U.S.-China Business Council where he increased media coverage for the Council and created programs for city and state governments to increase understanding of the importance of the bilateral relationship beyond Washington, D.C.
Currently, Dr. Barry is an adjunct professor at George Washington University. He has also taught at Georgetown University, the American University of Nigeria, and the U.S. University of Africa in Nairobi. For the past two years, he has been a senior advisor to the president of the American University in Bulgaria.
Dr. Barry earned an undergraduate degree from California State University San Francisco, a master’s from New York University, and a doctorate in adult education from Columbia University.
Moderator
Min Fan
Min Fan was born in China and studied at Peking University before emigrating to the United States. After receiving her MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill, she embarked on a career that has included leading the innovation program at a global technology company, mentoring startups at two incubators, leading a Houston-based NGO, and launching her own nonprofit to promote understanding across the cultural divide between the United States and China.
As the executive director of the United States Heartland China Association (USHCA) since 2020, Ms. Fan has led the organization to become a leader in U.S.-China subnational engagement. In 2023, Ms. Fan led the Heartland Mayors Delegation to China, the first American mayoral delegation to visit China post-pandemic. Ms. Fan has led many other senior level dialogues, moderated numerous panels, and given many keynote remarks.
