In the morning of June 23, 2013, the ex-president of U.S-China Business Council gave a speech, Expectations for Sino-US relationship, on the China Looked from Outside series lectures sponsored by the Institute of China Studies , Shanghai Academy of Social Science (SASS). The lecture was hosted by Renwei Huang, SASS’s vice-president, with the help from MingQi Xv, vice-director of World Economy Research Institution, and Ming Liu, director of Global Relationships Research Institution who acted as guest hosts. In addition, Junjie Mei, vice-director of Institute of China Studies, all graduate students and the researchers of the Academy attended this activity.

In the afternoon, Mr. Kapp and all stuff members of Institute of China Studies exchanged ideas in a discussion. During the discussion, he reviewed his experience as a student and of his career, talked about his work in the trade and economy communication between the two nations, and particularly discussed quite a number of topics in China Studies with the attendees. 

Born in 1943, NY, U.S, Robert Kapp is a Ph.D. of China Modern History of Yale University and once taught in Rice University and University of Washington. From the late of 1970s, he committed himself to the trade and economy communication between U.S and China, and once acted as the executive director of China Trade Council of Washington State, and the president of Washington Global Trade Council. Later, he devoted over a decade of his career as the president of U.S-China Business Council. During this period of time, he actively pushed U.S. Congress to pass the U.S- China Permanent Normal Trade Relations Act. In 2004, he established his Robert Kapp Trade and Consultancy Company and also served as a senior consultant of china affairs in K&L Gates and the president of China Committee of Pacific Council on International Policy, etc.