Expo set to boost China-US biz ties

Companies and institutions from the United States have ranked first among foreign exhibitors at the China International Supply Chain Expo for four consecutive years, from the inaugural event to this year's fourth edition, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said on Friday.

The US business community's active participation, experts said, underscores the enduring pull of the Chinese market and the deep integration of US supply chains with China's manufacturing ecosystem.

The event is set to run from June 22 to 26 in Beijing, with 676 leading Chinese and foreign companies confirmed to exhibit, Li Xingqian, vice-chairman of the council, told a news conference.

According to Li, participating companies hail from 85 countries, regions and international organizations. Foreign exhibitors account for 36.5 percent of the total, while Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders make up over 65 percent.

This year's expo will for the first time feature a dedicated artificial intelligence zone, developed in collaboration with leading global semiconductor companies and designed to showcase the full AI ecosystem, from data collection and computing power, to algorithms and real-world applications, Li said.

The AI zone, Li noted, will bring together some of the world's most influential technology firms, including US companies like Nvidia, Intel and Qualcomm.

On Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that China and the US have agreed to launch an intergovernmental dialogue on AI.

The expo has cemented its role as a vital platform for cooperation between US and Chinese business communities, with US firms and institutions maintaining the top spot among foreign exhibitors for the fourth consecutive year, said Liu Jiannan, also vice-chairman of the council.

Beyond the presence of US firms at the expo, government and business delegations from Florida, New Mexico, Utah and other US states will make special trips to China, Liu said, adding that US trade associations, including the US Soybean Export Council, will also host dedicated promotional events in China.

"Recently, many Chinese enterprises have expressed to us their interest in visiting the US. We are also preparing to organize Chinese companies to go to the US at an appropriate time," Liu said, adding that the initiative aims to deepen practical cooperation between the business communities of both countries.

Zhu Min, former deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said that differences between China and the US are inevitable, but so is cooperation.

"Through expanding cooperation to manage differences, both nations and their peoples benefit, and so does the world," Zhu said. "We need to keep lengthening the list of cooperation items while shortening the list of differences."

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Commerce also said that China and the US agreed to establish trade and investment councils to address respective concerns in trade and investment cooperation.

"American companies are continuing to invest. American companies aren't going anywhere," said Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council.

"It's not just the China market anymore; it's the China platform," he said, further explaining that the platform encompasses everything from consumer access and partnerships with local enterprises to research and development and supply chain resilience, which is "only becoming more important."