Over the past week, AmCham China’s leadership has had multiple engagements with senior Chinese government officials. These engagements included a delegation meeting with Wang Shouwen, the Vice Minister of Commerce, a speech by Chairman Colm Rafferty at the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2023, and a meeting between President Michael Hart and Zhang Min, the Vice Governor of Henan Province.
On May 26, an AmCham China delegation, led by Chairman Colm Rafferty, met with MOFCOM Vice Minister Wang Shouwen. The two sides had a wide-ranging discussion and exchanged views on a series of issues, including US-China economic and trade relations, the development of American enterprises in China, and the current business environment, before Rafferty presented Wang with a copy of the Chamber’s most recent White Paper.
On May 24, the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2023 was held in Beijing. Colm Rafferty, Chairman of AmCham China, was invited to attend and delivered a speech at the parallel forum titled ‘Bring the World New Opportunities Through China’s Development’.
Rafferty further pointed out that currently, both countries’ enterprises recognize each other’s national security concerns, but these should be addressed through communication at all levels of government. This should be done while recognizing that sudden disruptions in economic relations between our two, highly integrated economies would be devastating to both of our countries – and to the entire world. “For example, in response to COVID-related supply chain disruptions and ongoing efforts by both governments to recalibrate various elements of the relationship, US companies remain committed to the China market, but they have also been taking practical and measured steps to enhance their global supply chain resilience through geographic diversification.”
On May 29 and May 30, 2023, AmCham China and the Department of Commerce of Henan Province jointly held a series of cooperation activities in the Yumei multinational companies’ healthcare industry in Zhengzhou, Henan. A total of 12 global companies in China participated in this trip to Henan, including AbbVie, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Stryker, Boston Scientific, Danaher, Abbott, Johnson & Johnson, Xi’an Janssen, Zimmer Biomet, Edwards Life Sciences, etc.
29th May (afternoon) AmCham China visited the Henan Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone: Led by Meixiang Li, Director of the Industry Division Ⅲ of the Department of Commerce of Henan Province, Qiongna Ma, Vice President of the AmCham China, led a group of representatives to visit the Henan Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone and investigate deeply about the biomedical industrial park in this zone. During the visit, the AmCham China team and the company’s representatives were delighted to learn that the biomedicine and big health industries in Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone are developing rapidly. It is worth mentioning that their biomedical industrial park provides cutting-edge CXO solutions for the biomedical industry, including new drug screening and testing platforms, gene therapy platforms, etc. Then at the exchange meeting, the management committee of Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone further presented the overall situation and industrial advantages of the zone, and company representatives introduced the company’s business and investment intentions in China. After the meeting, business representatives expressed that they had gained a lot from this visit, and they hoped to actively explore a point of cooperation in the follow-up communication
30th May (morning) AmCham China visited Zhengzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone: Led by Hua Xu, Director of the Industry Division Ⅲ of the Department of Commerce of Henan Province, Wang Xi, director of the healthcare industry group of AmCham China, and the group of companies representatives visited the Zhengzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone and the Zhongdamen Bonded Direct Purchase Experience Center. Through the visit and the exchange meeting, Zhengzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone’s standardized infrastructure, high-quality service system, “sea, land and air” integrated logistics and open-minded policies have given AmCham China and companies representative deep impression. Lots of company representatives expressed that they would seriously consider matching the advantages of the Zhengzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone with the investment priorities of companies in China and explore possible cooperation space.
30th May (morning) Zhang Min, Vice Governor of Henan Province, met with Michael Hart, President of AmCham China, and senior executives of more than ten global companies in the healthcare field: This is the first time in recent years that Henan and the AmCham China have jointly organized the economic and trade event in a specific industry, which will strongly promote the cooperation. Zhang Min said that Henan Province hopes to establish multi-field cooperation with AmCham China and the visiting companies, especially to reach cooperation intentions in innovative drugs, biopharmaceutical R&D and industrialization, and high-energy R&D platforms to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.
May 30th (afternoon) Henan Healthcare Industry Policy Exchange Meeting: The healthcare industry group of AmCham China and the Department of Commerce of Henan Province co-hosted the Henan Healthcare Industry Policy Exchange Meeting. Henan Provincial Medical Products Administration, Henan Provincial Healthcare Security Administration, and Henan Provincial Health Commission were invited to attend the exchange meeting. The two sides conducted fruitful interactions on the development of the healthcare industry in Henan Province, the situation of medical services projects, and the direction of future medical reform policies. Qiongna Ma, vice president of AmCham China expressed gratitude for the arrangement by the Department of Commerce of Henan Province and the strong support from the Henan Provincial Medical Products Administration, Henan Provincial Health Commission, and Henan Provincial Healthcare Security Administration for this meeting. AmCham China believes that such exchange meetings between government and companies can greatly help foreign-funded enterprises in China to understand the Henan market and development opportunities, and further promote the integration of foreign-funded enterprises into China’s economic and social development.