Speaker: Asa Hutchinson
Governor of the State of Arkansas in the U.S., former Congressman, Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the first Undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security during Bush Administration
Moderator: Xue Lan
Dean and Professor, School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University
Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Time: 2:10–2:50 PM
Venue: Room 423, School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University
Speech Synopsis:
China and the United States have significant opportunities for foreign direct investment and trade. Governor Hutchinson will discuss the dynamics of the current political climate in the United States and its impact on economic ties between the People’s Republic of China and the State of Arkansas. He will use his experience as Undersecretary of Homeland Security, as Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and as Governor of Arkansas (home of Wal-Mart and Tyson’s Foods) in his remarks.
Speaker Biography:
Asa Hutchinson was sworn in as the 46th Governor of Arkansas on January 13, 2015, and immediately set in motion his plan to bring more jobs and economic growth to his native state.
During his first full day on the job, Governor Hutchinson called the executives of six companies to let them know Arkansas wanted their business. Since then, he has regularly reached out to top executives and traveled the world to tell Arkansas’s story.
Eager to create a more business-friendly climate, the Governor kept a major campaign promise by working to pass the biggest income tax rate cut in state history. Governor Hutchinson also forged legislative consensus on the funding for the state’s health insurance initiative and created a task force to identify innovative Medicaid reforms that best fit Arkansas.
Also, several efficiency measures undertaken at the Governor’s direction — such as the consolidation of several state agencies — have resulted in taxpayer savings and better focused state services, making the private sector grow faster than the public sector.
Before being elected governor, Asa Hutchinson served in a variety of posts in the private and public sector. He served as Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration and as the first Undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Voters in Arkansas's Third District also elected him to Congress three times.
A graduate of the University of Arkansas Law School, Asa Hutchinson, at age 31, was appointed by President Reagan as the nation's youngest U.S. attorney.
