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Bonnie Girard

Bonnie Girard

Bonnie Girard is President of China Channel Ltd. She has lived and worked in China for half of her adult life, beginning in 1987 when she studied at the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing.

Bonnie Girard has lived and worked in China for half of her adult life, beginning in 1987 when she studied at the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing. In 1996, after nine years in China and having worked for European multinational telecommunications companies in their China sales and operations throughout the country, she founded China Channel, the first independent consultancy providing due diligence for foreign companies coming into the Chinese market. In the years since, Bonnie, British husband and partner Roland Evans, and her colleagues in China have handled China issues for clients as diverse as Lloyd’s of London, IBM, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and Brunswick Bowling.

Bonnie is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has been responsible for the negotiation and implementation of over $1 billion worth of contracts in China, and is a frequent speaker on Chinese business and political issues. Bonnie grew up in Washington, D.C. and Virginia, in a family long active in government, foreign service, academics, and journalism. She handles all of her personal and professional business in China in Mandarin Chinese. She can be reached by email here, and on Twitter at @BonnieGirard.

Posts by Bonnie Girard
November 28, 2023

The Rise and Fall of Confucius Institutes in the US

By Bonnie Girard
Will the controversial Chinese government-funded programs rise again under another name?

July 31, 2023

China’s Foreign Minister Deposed: Guilt or Power Struggle?

By Bonnie Girard
With no official explanation for Qin's removal from his post, speculation is running rampant.
June 01, 2023

COVID-19 Casualties Among Foreign Companies in China 

By Bonnie Girard
After three years, foreign managers are now returning to China – only to find that their businesses are no longer run according to the founding principles and practices.

April 01, 2023

The Common Thread Between a Chinese Collaborator and the Chinese Communist Party

By Bonnie Girard
Sun Yat-sen, the father of China’s 1911 revolution, has inspired opposite impulses among those who claim his legacy.

March 02, 2023

In China, Lawyers Don’t Need to Keep Your Secrets

By Bonnie Girard
China has many of the trappings of a Western legal system, but lacks the substance – including a guarantee of attorney-client privilege.

December 30, 2022

From Zero to All-Out COVID: The Power of the Politburo’s Standing Committee

By Bonnie Girard
Ultimately, the choice was Xi's, but his colleagues on the Standing Committee of the Politburo wield extraordinary power, collectively and individually.
November 30, 2022

Shanghai Protests, But Not Too Far

By Bonnie Girard
China’s middle class has rarely taken part in political activism over the past 30 years. They are now voicing their discontent – to a point.

November 01, 2022

Xi Jinping’s Energy Policy: Contradictions and Caveats

By Bonnie Girard
Xi has made big promises on China's emissions and energy mix, but his work report at the 20th Party Congress suggests neither is a top priority.

September 30, 2022

Can the Chinese Communist Party Congress Surprise Us?

By Bonnie Girard
Surprises are possible at the CCP’s most scripted event – but this year, any hopes for an “October surprise” are wishful thinking.

August 31, 2022

How China’s Coal Commitment Went up in Smoke

By Bonnie Girard
The flip-flop on coal policy makes it clear that China’s climate goals take a backseat to energy security and self-sufficiency.

August 01, 2022

China, US Woo Pacific Island Nations

By Bonnie Girard
The Pacific Islands states have rejected China’s overreach. But are Washington’s efforts any more attractive?
June 30, 2022

Assimilation: China’s Failed Strategy in Xinjiang

By Bonnie Girard
China’s approach to Xinjiang rests on forced assimilation, a difficult task in a society where even those who wish to assimilate struggle to do so.

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