March 19, 2024, 11:00-12:00 CST
Ambassador Julián Ventura is a career diplomat, currently on leave from the Mexican Foreign Service. With over 33 years in public service, he has held senior diplomatic positions in four administrations, most recently as Deputy Foreign Secretary, where he oversaw key relationships in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and served as Mexico’s G20 Sherpa. Previously, he served as Ambassador to China and the United Kingdom and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy to the United States.
As Under Secretary for North America, he played a central role managing the economic, trade, border, and immigration agendas with the United States and Canada. As Director-General for Asia-Pacific Affairs, he was a Senior Official in the Mexico-Japan FTA negotiations, the Mexico-South Korea 21st Century Commission, and five Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summits. Earlier in his career, he served as the Foreign Secretary’s Chief of Staff and in Mexico’s missions in Cuba, the United Nations, and the Organization of American States. He is a frequent media commentator on global affairs and a participant in global policy forums, including the Doha Forum, the Munich Security Conference, the Chatham House London Conference, the Halifax Security Forum, the Atlantic Strategy Group and the Raisina Dialogue. He is also a founding member of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI). He currently is a Senior Advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group, part of Dentons Global Advisors, and a Chatham House Associate Fellow. He is based in Mexico City.
Speaker presentation
China in North America: A View from Mexico
Ambassador Ventura will trace the evolution of Mexico’s relations with China, from their establishment in 1972 to the present day. He will highlight the growing economic components of the relationship, from China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to current trade and investment trends in light of the nearshoring phenomenon. He will analyze China’s footprint in North America and opportunities for engagement in the context of ongoing geopolitical shifts and U.S.-Mexico relations.