The executive committee first met on March 22, 1973, to begin the formation of the council, with the executive committee members being the first Board of Directors. Donald C. Burnham, of Westinghouse Corporation, took the post of chairman and the Board elected Christopher H. Phillips to be the first president.[4] Phillips would serve as president of the council until his retirement in 1986.[5]
In the first year, the Council attracted 200 members and, by 1982, this had grown to 400 members.[4] In 1974, the council began publishing the China Business Review, a journal aimed at American companies trying to enter the Chinese market. In 1979, the Council opened an office in Beijing.[6][7]
A 2021 study commissioned by the USCBC stated that the Trump tariffs on Chinese goods directly resulted in the loss of 245,000 American jobs.[9][10]: 180
A 2021 report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies identified USCBC as a key facilitator of Beijing's efforts to carry out its campaign of subnational influence in and against the United States.[11]
In 2022, the USCBC lobbied against legislation to screen of outbound U.S. investments for potential national security issues.[12] The council has also expressed concern about the implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.[13]
^Ma, Xinru; Kang, David C. (2024). Beyond Power Transitions: The Lessons of East Asian History and the Future of U.S.-China Relations. Columbia Studies in International Order and Politics. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN978-0-231-55597-5.
^Jacob, Gu (November 14, 2023). "Xi's Arrival in US Brings Protesters and Fans Onto Streets". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023. The Republican wrote to the US-China Business Council and National Committee on US-China Relations demanding the organizers provide details of the guest list, funding and profits. Neither group responded to Bloomberg's request for comment on the dinner.