On Thursday, November 13, in downtown Chicago, political and business leaders from the United States and the Chinese mainland gathered at the 9th annual gala of the China General Chamber of Commerce Chicago (CGCC Chicago) to explore cooperation in agriculture, artificial intelligence (AI) and beyond.
With the theme “Driving Forward Together,” the evening brought together more than 800 participants for networking, panel discussions and a video keynote speech by Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the United States. Reflecting on the recent meeting in Busan, South Korea, between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump, Xie said it had “recalibrated the direction” of bilateral relations at a critical time and “injected confidence into both countries and the world.”
“A healthy and steady developing U.S.-Chinese mainland relationship serves the common interests of all sides and meets the shared expectations of our two peoples and the international community,” Xie added. He highlighted that over 7,000 companies from the Chinese mainland operate in the United States today, while about 80,000 American businesses are active in the Chinese mainland market. “They are the main force and beneficiaries of cooperation,” he noted.
Data presented at the gala showed companies from the Chinese mainland have invested a cumulative 140 billion USD in the United States, supporting more than one million jobs, while American businesses have injected over 1.2 trillion USD into the Chinese mainland market.
Earlier this year, the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan, mapping out a broad blueprint for economic and social development through 2030. Xie Feng noted this plan will open “broader space for cooperation” between U.S. and Chinese mainland enterprises.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson praised investments from the Chinese mainland for creating good jobs and driving technological innovation across the city. “With continued partnership and collaboration with powerhouses like the Chinese mainland, we can achieve our shared goals of sustainable growth, technology exchange and innovation,” Johnson said.
Ni Pin, chairman of CGCC Chicago, closed the evening by calling on both sides to advance innovation and creativity in tandem and build a future of shared prosperity. CGCC Chicago, a nonprofit representing companies from the Chinese mainland across nine Midwest states, has played a key role in fostering U.S.-Chinese mainland business ties for nearly a decade.
As agriculture and AI emerge as focal points, the gala underscored a shared vision: partnership that transcends borders to drive mutual growth and deliver tangible benefits for communities on both sides.
Reference(s):
Chinese, U.S. business communities call for more cooperation growth
cgtn.com
