Sam Kaplan has worked with and in China for over thirty years in a variety of roles. As president of the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, he organized numerous trade and business missions to China and hosted countless delegations, business people, and government officials from China. He was a key member of the host committees for the visits of both President Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping to Seattle. He publishes a weekly e-newsletter, "International Need to Know," and has been published in a variety of publications, including the World Bank's Urban Age magazine. Kaplan lives in the Seattle area.