Province looks for an extra stateside boost

The Chinese province Shaanxi is pursuing international cooperation in the United States and fostering trade relations with various states, including California, New York and Utah.

"Shaanxi and the US are far away, but the two sides have close economic and trade relationship, as well as extensive people-to-people exchanges," said Sun Jinghu, deputy director at the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Commerce, during a Shaanxi Province-California Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference in Los Angeles on Friday.

The US is Shaanxi's fourth-largest trading partner and seventh-largest source of foreign capital. In 2023, the trade volume between Shaanxi and the US exceeded $3.92 billion, and 16 US enterprises set up operations in Shaanxi.

"We would like to enhance cooperation with California in the fields of investment and trade, scientific and technical innovation, education, and financial services," Sun said.

The province has adopted policies in the manufacturing and export-oriented sectors to improve the investment environment and encourage enterprises to invest in Shaanxi, Sun noted.

This year, Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, will host the 8th Silk Road International Exposition.

"We sincerely invite all guests and entrepreneurs to participate in the exhibition in Shaanxi, and make more friends with us, to further understand the history, culture and natural scenery of Shaanxi," Sun added.

Wang Taiyu, the Chinese cultural counselor in Los Angeles, said there is "no way" to fully understand the history and culture of Shaanxi, and China as a whole, without experiencing them through a personal visit.

Remain optimistic

Despite the uncertainties in bilateral relations, members of the US business community remain optimistic about the future of business ties between the US and China.

"I firmly feel that the United States and China have to get together not only culturally, but also economically and politically. It's so important to the future of the world," Lessing Gold, a partner at MSK LLP and board director of the American-Chinese CEO Society, told China Daily.

While expressing disappointment over the decline in the number of flights between Los Angeles and Beijing, which he believes was detrimental to the cultural and political ties between the two countries, Gold believes that by working together, the US and China could strengthen their relationship and create a brighter future for both nations.

As an organization dedicated to bridging CEOs between the US and China, the society encourages trade and investment between the two countries and further promotes friendship and cultural awareness. It has worked closely with Chinese companies that have decided to do business in the US, according to him.

"I have been to China many times, and I love the Chinese people. My experiences in China have always been fantastic," Gold said.

"Having visited China over 30 times, I've always felt welcomed," shared Timothy Kelley, president of the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation, as he recounted his experiences in developing business relationships there.

Wang Lei, executive vice-president for strategic management and operations at Gemdale USA Corporation, told China Daily that China and the US can cooperate more with each other no matter how their political relations are.

"Business is business," he said."We can find the opportunities to cooperate deeply with each other."