NDRC Vice Chairman Ning and U.S. Ambassador Branstad delivered keynote speeches
American Chamber of Commerce in China hosted the 18th Annual Appreciation Dinner on December 1 to celebrate another year of joint accomplishments with over 500 guests from the U.S. Embassy, Chinese government ministries and organizations, and the American business community. The theme this year was “Forging Ahead in Partnership,” reflecting the AmCham China community’s determination and endeavor to deepen economic cooperation between China and the U.S. over the years.
Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission and Commissioner of the National Bureau of Statistics Ning Jizhe and U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad were attended the Annual Appreciation Dinner to deliver keynote speeches. As the event came close on the heels of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China as well as the first state visit to China by U.S. President Donald Trump, the evolution of U.S.-China relations was a hot topic for the evening.
Vice Chairman Ning recognized AmCham China as an important communications platform for U.S.-China economic cooperation. “AmCham China has hosted the Annual Appreciation Dinner for more than a decade, clearly showing that the community is passionate, confident, and motivated about achieving U.S.-China cooperation,” he said. “I hope AmCham China continues to play a constructive role to provide more positive energy in U.S.-China economic and trade relations. On the solid foundation of current collaboration, I also hope our concerted efforts will push bilateral relations to another new level, by realizing the aspirations of future cooperation and achieving development under favorable conditions.”
Ambassador Branstad congratulated AmCham China for its success and praised on its efforts in helping build mutual understanding in the US-China commercial relationship.
“This bilateral relationship is the most important one in the entire world. As President Trump’ recent visit demonstrated, we are trying to get things right,” he said. “China is a strong and wealthy country today. Its companies are among the largest in the world. The Chinese economy and stakeholders do not need any protecting. They need competition to drive innovation, efficiency, and productivity. So what is our goal? We want fair and reciprocal treatment relationship.”
President Trump also sent a message to Chinese and American companies, as well as the two governments, as relayed by Ambassador Branstad: “I’m depending on all of you to work together to find opportunities for future agreement and shared prosperity. The hard-working people of America and hard-working people of China deserve the very best solutions to achieve prosperity, happiness and peace.”
AmCham China Chairman William Zarit extended his appreciation to both governments for their effort and support in 2017 on behalf of members. He also stressed the importance of continued engagement and commitment to strong bilateral ties.
“We strongly believe in the ability of open investment to promote development in China, so it was encouraging to see concrete moves in this direction announced recently regarding financial services, and we look forward to seeing the details of those.” Zarit said. “I’d like to emphasize that we’re all in this together. In a globalized world, there are increasing opportunities for cooperation, and we should ensure that we continue to Forge Ahead in Partnership and realize a brighter future for both countries.”
AmCham China would like to thank the major sponsors of the event for their support: Amway (China) Co., Honeywell (China) Co., Exxon Mobile (China) Investment Co., Intel (China) Ltd., Cushman & Wakefield, Pfizer Investment Co., Nu Skin (China) Daily-Use & Health Products Co., Universal Park & Resorts, Merck Serono Co., and BabyCare Ltd.
About AmCham China
The American Chamber of Commerce in the People's Republic of China is a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose membership comprises more than 3,300 individuals from 800 companies operating across China. The chamber's nationwide mission is to help American companies succeed in China through advocacy, information, networking and business support services. AmCham China is the only officially recognized chamber of commerce representing American business in mainland China. With offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Shenyang and Wuhan, AmCham China has more than 50 working groups, and holds more than 250 events each year. Visit: www.amchamchina.org
For more information, please contact:
Yona Yang
Tel: (8610) 8519-0831
Email: yyang@amchamchina.org