Andy Rothman Keynote Speaker

Renowned China Investment Strategist
Author of Sinology publication for Institutional Investors
Deep experience advising investors, companies and policymakers on China’s economy and US-China relations

Andy Rothman's Biography

Andy Rothman is widely regarded as one of the sharpest investment strategists today on China. He has a unique perspective on China in the asset management industry.

Andy advises institutional investors and companies on the opportunities and risks presented by China’s economy, and on the impact of changes in US-China relations. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and board meetings, on topics such as prospects for the Chinese economy; US-China relations; China-Taiwan relations; and the global impact of China’s economy.

Andy is a Senior China Fellow with the Asia Society of Northern California. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Coral Tree Education Foundation.

In 2000, Andy began his private sector career, helping institutional investors and companies understand China’s rapidly changing economic environment. For 14 years, he was the Shanghai-based China macro strategist for CLSA, an institutional brokerage and investment group. After living and working in China for more than 20 years, in 2014 Andy moved to California to become the China strategist for Matthews Asia, one of the largest, active, US-based investors in China’s equity markets. His clients included global wealth managers, pension funds, endowments, family offices, private banks and sovereign wealth funds. In 2025, he established Sinology LLC.

Andy’s 17-year, China-focused career as a US Foreign Service Officer included serving as the Taiwan desk officer at the State Department in the mid-90s, when China fired missiles near Taiwan. His final diplomatic role was head of the macroeconomics and domestic policy office at the American embassy in Beijing.

Andy first went to China as a student in 1980, just a few years after Mao’s death and the end of the Cultural Revolution. In 1984 he began his diplomatic career in Guangzhou, as Deng Xiaoping launched his economic and social reforms. He also attended China’s first rock concert, by Wham!

Prospects for the Chinese economy and its impact on the global economy and companies

The impact of rising trade and political tensions between Washington and Beijing

Assessing the risk of conflict between China and Taiwan

He brings rare authority on China’s economy and geopolitics from more than four decades of firsthand experience, helping leaders interpret what is changing inside China and what those shifts mean for global markets.
He equips boards and institutional investors with clear, investable insight drawn from decades advising wealth managers, pensions, endowments and sovereign funds, clarifying where China’s opportunities and risks are most misunderstood.
He offers an insider’s perspective on US-China and China-Taiwan relations from a 17-year career as a US Foreign Service Officer, helping organisations stress-test strategy against geopolitical escalation and policy shocks.
He translates complex macro trends from his Shanghai-based role as China strategist at CLSA and his leadership at Matthews Asia into practical guidance for decision-makers navigating volatility in equities, supply chains and capital flows.
He delivers high-impact briefings for conference and boardroom audiences, helping senior leaders separate headlines from fundamentals and communicate confidently with investors, clients and stakeholders.