On September 9, China Provinces-U.S. States Economic and Trade Cooperation Seminar was held in Xiamen on the sidelines of the 23rd China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT). The seminar was attended by nearly 200 representatives from the governments of the Chinese provinces and municipalities of Fujian, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hunan, Guangdong, Chongqing and Sichuan and the U.S. states of California, South Carolina, Maryland and Illinois, as well as delegates from the business community. The attendees had in-depth discussion on increasing China provinces-U.S. states trade and economic cooperation and exploring green and low-carbon goods trade, technology exchange and investment cooperation.

Assistant Minister of Commerce Chen Chunjiang noted in his keynote speech that the seminar was an important step to advance trade and economic cooperation between Chinese provinces and U.S. states on the platform of the 23rd CIFIT. In November 2022, President Xi Jinping met with President Joe Biden in Bali, Indonesia and agreed to have trade and economic dialogues and coordination between the two countries. On August 28, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, during which they had a rational, practical, professional and in-depth exchange on trade and economic issues of mutual concern, building an important platform for institutional and regular bilateral discussion of trade and economic matters.

Chen Chunjiang pointed out that the China-U.S. trade and economic relationship is essentially mutually beneficial, featuring deeply intertwined shared interests. The difficulties and challenges faced by China-U.S. trade and economic cooperation in recent years were largely due to U.S. policies to “decouple” from China. It is hoped that the U.S. work with China in the same direction and bring bilateral trade and economic relations back to the normal track.

Vice Governor of Fujian Province Lin Wenbin said in his speech that trade and economic cooperation between Chinese provinces and U.S. states serves as a key driver for China-U.S. practical cooperation. Fujian Province has a long history of cooperation with the U.S., and is ready to step up exchange and cooperation with U.S. cities and provinces.

Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor of California, and Bob Holden, Chairman and President of U.S. Heartland China Association and former Governor of Missouri, sent their video message. U.S. state officials expressed their commitment to trade and economic relations with China, welcome to Chinese investment locally, and expectations for stronger trade and economic cooperation in climate response, agriculture and food, in order to promote bilateral relations.

Senior Vice President of the U.S.-China Business Council Mattew Margulies and President of AmCham South China Harley Seyedin delivered remarks in-person. They said that U.S. businesses believe the Chinese government will create an enabling business environment, and expected China-U.S. cooperation in solar, wind, hydrogen and other green and low-carbon technologies, so that the two countries jointly meet their decarbonization targets and boost their respective economy.

(All information published on this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only.)