Page 22 - The South China Business Journal
P. 22
MMUNITY NEWS
First American at Canton Fair –
Fifty Years in China (Final Part)
Editor's Note: Dr. David Buxbaum at Canton Fair
An intriguing true, stranger than fiction,
autobiographical short story of a living legend and
prominent US lawyer who arrived in China 50 years
ago as the first American to receive an invitation
to the 1972 Spring Canton Fair, after the President
Nixon earthshaking visit to China in February and
March 1972. He then stayed for the past 50 years.
You cannot miss reading this thrilling Story of fifty
years of trial and tribulations. David Buxbaum
was the first and perhaps the only foreigner to
be active in the courts in China helping American
and multinational companies successfully enter
the Chinese market. David also argued a case
successfully before the US Supreme Court against
a former US Secretary of Agriculture, Butz et al. v.
Economou et al.438US478(1978).
Following is the end of this series.
A HALF CENTURY ANNIVERSARY
OF A SHORT TRIP TO CHINA
By David Buxbaum, Governor of AmCham South China
On a later trip to Taiwan I resided in a small village, Ganyuan for 18 months, working on my PhD
dissertation, which involed issues of law and social change.
At the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, in 1966 and 1967 I resided in Hong Kongto complete my research
for PhD dissertation. Hong Kong, like some other places in mainland China, was in chaos, with riots, Molotov
cocktails, etc, as a result of the activities of extreme leftists. In 1968, I returned to the University of Washington
for a short time, where I taught law and obtained my Ph.D. degree.
Subsequently, I joined the international law firm of Anderson, Mori, & Rabinowitz, with offices in Tokyo and
New York. I had the good fortune of working with James B. Anderson who was an excellent client developer
and fine mentor. We had very good clients, such as one of the largest America’s instrument companies, one
of the top American car companies and a top fast-food company, as well as the largest textile company in the
USA. We did many joint venture agreements, legal opinions, undertook administrative proceedings, registered
foreign companies in Japan, undertook litigation, etc., mostly with regard to Japanese law, but we also did
some work involving Hong Kong law and Chinese law. It was very good training for my future work in China.
It became apparent during the administration of President Johnson, that the US was interested in changing its
policy towards China. Since I intended to do work in the field of Chinese law, I left the firm of Anderson, Mori &
19 AMCHAM SOUTH CHINA
First American at Canton Fair –
Fifty Years in China (Final Part)
Editor's Note: Dr. David Buxbaum at Canton Fair
An intriguing true, stranger than fiction,
autobiographical short story of a living legend and
prominent US lawyer who arrived in China 50 years
ago as the first American to receive an invitation
to the 1972 Spring Canton Fair, after the President
Nixon earthshaking visit to China in February and
March 1972. He then stayed for the past 50 years.
You cannot miss reading this thrilling Story of fifty
years of trial and tribulations. David Buxbaum
was the first and perhaps the only foreigner to
be active in the courts in China helping American
and multinational companies successfully enter
the Chinese market. David also argued a case
successfully before the US Supreme Court against
a former US Secretary of Agriculture, Butz et al. v.
Economou et al.438US478(1978).
Following is the end of this series.
A HALF CENTURY ANNIVERSARY
OF A SHORT TRIP TO CHINA
By David Buxbaum, Governor of AmCham South China
On a later trip to Taiwan I resided in a small village, Ganyuan for 18 months, working on my PhD
dissertation, which involed issues of law and social change.
At the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, in 1966 and 1967 I resided in Hong Kongto complete my research
for PhD dissertation. Hong Kong, like some other places in mainland China, was in chaos, with riots, Molotov
cocktails, etc, as a result of the activities of extreme leftists. In 1968, I returned to the University of Washington
for a short time, where I taught law and obtained my Ph.D. degree.
Subsequently, I joined the international law firm of Anderson, Mori, & Rabinowitz, with offices in Tokyo and
New York. I had the good fortune of working with James B. Anderson who was an excellent client developer
and fine mentor. We had very good clients, such as one of the largest America’s instrument companies, one
of the top American car companies and a top fast-food company, as well as the largest textile company in the
USA. We did many joint venture agreements, legal opinions, undertook administrative proceedings, registered
foreign companies in Japan, undertook litigation, etc., mostly with regard to Japanese law, but we also did
some work involving Hong Kong law and Chinese law. It was very good training for my future work in China.
It became apparent during the administration of President Johnson, that the US was interested in changing its
policy towards China. Since I intended to do work in the field of Chinese law, I left the firm of Anderson, Mori &
19 AMCHAM SOUTH CHINA
