China-US Business Forum highlights trade relations

The China-US Business Forum, with the theme of "Expanding Exchanges and Cooperation for a Mutual-Benefit and Win-Win Tomorrow", was held in Beijing Feb. 14. The forum is hosted by People's Daily and China Chamber of Commerce in USA.

Speakers at the opening ceremony include Cheng Siwei, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Chen Jinhua, President of China Enterprise Confederation and National Employers' Organization, Wang Chen, Director General of People's Daily, Robert Mundell, professor of Colombia University and Nobel laureate for economics, and Rudy Pamintuan, Chairman of the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

Cheng Siwei pointed out in his speech that the relationship between China, the world's biggest developing country, and the United States, the world's biggest developed nation, is of great significance both to the two peoples of the two countries and to the world peace and development. He added that the China-US economic and trade ties were growing fast and a win-win situation with reciprocal benefits was in the interests of both of the countries as the US has become China's second largest trade partner and China has become the US' third largest trade partner.

Chen Jinhua noted that peace, development and cooperation represent the mega-trend of today's world. The Chinese people will adhere to their commitment to peaceful rise. On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of members of the National Employers' Organization, he expressed the willingness to expand communication and further cooperation with US counterparts to spread the influence of the forum to the bilateral economic and trade collaboration.

Wang Chen said People's Daily, China's most prestigious newspaper, would carry on its efforts in promoting the China-US constructive partnership as it has been as a "bridge" advancing the friendship and expanding the political, economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Robert Mundell remarked that the China-US economic and trade cooperation was an important part of the global economy and China's development was significant to every country in the world. Many American sectors benefit from China's development as the two economies were complementary to each other.

Rudy Pamintuan recognized that most US businesses were making money in China which was one of their important market for products and services. He believed that dialogues and communication would consolidate the bilateral ties on economy and trade.

Representatives at the meeting agreed that the China-US economic and trade collaboration was characterized with mutual benefit and win-win situation. Constructive views, they believed, would play a positive role in expanding the collaboration between the two governments and enterprises from the two nations.

They gave positive assessments on the status quo of the China-US economic and trade relations, saying the fast-growing ties served as solid material foundation and tremendous momentum to the constructive cooperation in the new century.

They regarded the frictions and problems in the China-US trade as "normal" given the speed and scale of the trade. Dialogues and consultations on an equal basis are the best way to address those issues. China's economy will keep growing fast and steadily during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-1010). That represents limitless potential for US enterprises and investors.

At the closing ceremony People's Daily Vice President He Chongyuan concluded that mutual understanding and trust were promoted through the in-depth discussions at the forum on the issues of market access, intellectual property rights protection, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, the RMB exchange rate and imbalance in trade. The forum is of significance in pushing forward the healthy and stable development of the China-US economic and trade cooperation.

About 180 people attended the meeting. Chinese speakers at the meeting also included senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, People's Bank of China, State Intellectual Property Office, Development Research Center of the State Council, as well as the Tianjing municipal government, COSCO Group, Air China. John Holden, former president of the National Committee on the United States-China Relations, was also present.

By People's Daily Online