Lutnick's China ties draw fire after Trump taps him to lead US in trade war

Investment banker Howard Lutnick's exposure to China came into sharp relief on Wednesday, after Republican President-elect Donald Trump tapped him to lead the agencies that have become the tip of the spear in the US-China trade war.

The financial services firms helmed by Lutnick have profited from ties to China: from BGC Group, which has a joint venture in Beijing with Chinese-state owned China Credit Trust, to Cantor Fitzgerald, which has helped take Chinese firms public in the United States.

The financial ties raise questions about whether Lutnick could be unduly influenced by Beijing when making decisions about whether to impose fresh tariffs and export curbs on China as United States Trade Representative and Commerce Secretary, lawmakers and ethics experts said.

“Lutnick’s conflicts of interest in China appear to be substantial. How can the American people expect someone who is on the Chinese government’s payroll to help level the playing field with China for working Americans?” asked Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, who chairs the Senate finance committee.

A spokesperson for Lutnick could not be immediately reached for comment. Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC group, and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who serves on the foreign relations and armed services committees, said he expected Lutnick "will be pressed about his financial connections to US adversaries. It's crucial that our Commerce Secretary's top priority be the American people, not their personal business dealings".

Lutnick's financial services firm BGC Group has a 33% stake, valued at nearly $28 million, in a joint venture with China Credit Trust, a "financial state-owned enterprise" whose largest shareholder is state-owned China People's Insurance Company (PICC Group), according to the joint venture's website.

PICC group has ties to Huawei, the Chinese telecoms equipment giant heavily sanctioned by Washington amid fears it could spy on users. In November 2022, PICC Group signed a contract with Huawei to establish a joint innovation laboratory to deepen collaboration in financial technology, according to a statement by Huawei.

The joint venture, known as China Credit BGC Money Broking Company Limited, was licensed to operate in Beijing in 2010, as the first currency brokerage company there, according to the website, and provides brokerage and data services for domestic and foreign exchange markets as well as money, bond and derivatives markets.

The tie-up, according to a BGC press release, marked "the first Sino-foreign joint venture inter-dealer broking company to have been granted a business license by the China Banking Regulatory Commission to operate in Beijing."

The challenges faced by Lutnick in twinning his business and policy portfolios are highlighted by BGC's own September financial filing, which notes that US China trade relations, which could be partially controlled by Lutnick, could impact company results.