The event began with welcome remarks by Claire Ma, Vice President of AmCham China. She emphasized that AI has moved beyond the laboratory to become a core engine enabling enterprises to break growth bottlenecks and accelerate development. Ma also noted the broader context of the current US-China trade environment, while reaffirming optimism for sustainable business development in China and confidence in the market’s vast potential.
Mark Dreyer, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at AmCham China, followed with insights from the latest Business Climate Survey. His remarks addressed key trends around profitability, bilateral relations, and digital transformation. Highlights included:
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46% of member companies reported being profitable in 2024
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87% view US-China relations as crucial to their business operations
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51% expressed concerns over further deterioration in the bilateral relationship
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48% still consider China a top market priority, despite some relocation activity
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Rising US-China tensions remain the top challenge for members
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Domestic consumption is seen as the leading opportunity for future growth
Dreyer also shared perspectives from both Beijing (focusing on economic and fiscal policy) and Washington, DC (where tariffs are likely to remain and a potential bilateral summit is being considered). He concluded with a brief note on how AI is beginning to shape the workplace.
The event’s keynote session featured two expert presentations. Qi Xinguo, Partner at Deloitte China’s Consulting Business Unit, spoke on Winning the Future: AI-Driven New Trends in Enterprise Growth. He discussed how GenAI is driving business value and outlined implementation paths based on business priorities. A core message: “Humans won’t be replaced by AI. They will be replaced by humans using AI.” Qi also addressed GenAI capabilities, operating models, ROI metrics, and the accelerating pace of GenAI adoption.
Next, AWS representatives Zhang Xia, Enterprise Strategy Expert, and Wang Xiaoye, Director of the Technical Specialist Team at AWS Greater China, presented From Technological Potential to Business Practice. They illustrated how GenAI can transform innovation into real-world business value, citing global trends and models such as DeepSeek. The session included case studies from Amazon’s use of GenAI in areas such as demand generation, customer experience, tool efficiency, and after-sales services. They also highlighted AWS’s comprehensive suite of GenAI tools, the importance of selecting the right model, leveraging data assets, and ensuring organizational readiness—while underscoring AWS’s long-term investment and localized approach in China.
The final session featured a panel discussion moderated by Claire Ma, with all speakers participating. The panel explored cutting-edge AI developments, business applications of GenAI, implementation challenges, partner requirements, and future trends. Specific use cases and strategic considerations were also discussed. The session fostered dynamic exchanges and active participation from attendees, who engaged experts on a range of AI-related topics.
Thank you to our speakers and attendees for their valuable insights and participation. We hope the salon provided attendees with timely perspectives on frontier technologies and practical strategies for AI-driven enterprise growth.
For those interested in learning more about AWS’s GenAI tools and services, please reach out to AWS representatives or visit aws.amazon.com.