China Bound Lee Busy Packing

As Michael Lee will tell you, person-to-person relationship building is vital for deal making in China. So don’t be surprised if his firm starts closing more deals soon.

Lee, managing director with the venture firm WI Harper, is relocating from the United States to his firm’s Beijing office.

WI Harper – not to be confused with IW Harper, the Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey – bills itself as one of the first U.S.-based VC firms focused on creating a bridge between Silicon Valley and China. WI Harper manages $225 million in five funds that the firm has invested primarily in U.S. venture-backed companies that have a connection with the Asian tech industry.

Lee, a former Goldman Sachs technology banker, had to cut short his interview with, us as he’s busy packing. The move looks permanent – Lee says his family will join him in Beijing over the next several months.