More than 200 senior government officials from the US and Chinese governments attended AmCham China’s 23rd Annual Appreciation Dinner on March 1, 2024, to celebrate the efforts made by both the US and Chinese governments, as well as the American business community over the previous year. In total, nearly 500 guests gathered at the China World Hotel in Beijing to attend the dinner, whose theme was “Stability Fosters Forward Progress.”
In 2023, a series of high-level meetings advanced the bilateral relationship to a more stable ground. This landmark dinner, attended by senior figures from both nations, underscored the American business community’s significance in China. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and US Ambassador Nicholas Burns delivered keynote speeches, with Han becoming the highest-level Chinese official to participate in the Chamber’s dinner over its 23-year history.
In his remarks, AmCham Chair Sean Stein underscored the pivotal role of the US business community in strengthening economic ties between the US and China. Highlighting the unprecedented scale of the event and the distinguished presence of Chinese and American officials, Stein conveyed a message of gratitude and optimism, saying, “We are all here because we have a shared belief in one thing: what the American business community is doing in China is absolutely good for China.” Stein continued, “You are helping make China healthier and more prosperous and we are helping raise the standard of living. At the same time, the American business community is very proud of the fact that what we do helps build and strengthen the American economy, making it more competitive and making Americans healthier, wealthier, and more productive.”
Emphasizing the event’s theme of stability as a catalyst for progress, Stein lauded the political courage of leaders from both nations in stabilizing US-China relations, recognizing the multiple significant diplomatic engagements over the past year as milestones towards cooperation on global challenges. Stein concluded with a wish for continued collaboration and the ongoing presence of American businesses in China. “American business has been in China, contributing to both China’s and America’s growth for over a century,” he said. “With ongoing stability and brave leadership, I look forward to seeing this cooperation last another hundred years.”
Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), began by expressing gratitude to AmCham China and its members for their contribution to US-China economic and trade relations. Highlighting the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the US and China, Ren emphasized economic opportunities for cooperation. He also mentioned CCPIT’s commitment to providing services to help US enterprises thrive in China and concluded by wishing for continued success and fruitful cooperation between US and Chinese and businesses, along with New Year greetings for the Year of the Dragon.
US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns delivered three key messages. First, he highlighted the more frequent high-level communication between the US and China in recent months, calling attention to the visits of numerous American officials to Beijing, including Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and senior PRC visits to Washington. “This was real progress,” he said, stating that such visits had “connected the senior levels of the Chinese and American governments so that we could have more stability in the relationship.” These exchanges led to agreements in areas like combating the fentanyl crisis and resuming military-to-military communications.
Second, alongside positive developments, Ambassador Burns emphasized the importance of acknowledging that the US-China relationship will remain very competitive and challenging across a broad range of issues. In particular, he noted sources of continuing challenges in the relationship, such as the role of Chinese firms in supporting Russia’s defense-industrial base and the risk China’s excess manufacturing capacity poses to global markets. Burns affirmed the US commitment to maintain trade and address national security concerns under a policy of de-risking, not decoupling, and noted the PRC’s own extensive prohibitions on inbound and outbound investment, data management, and other commercial activities. “Our responsibility to the American Chamber and to American businesses is very simple: to try to create a more level playing field for American companies here in China,” Burns said.
Finally, Burns concluded by saying that while the US-China relationship is complex and competitive, both governments need to navigate challenges and engage with one another responsibly and peacefully where shared interests align for the benefit of both countries and the world. Burns said the attendance of Chinese Vice President Han Zheng “underscores the importance” China places on its economic relationship with the United States. He also stressed the importance of people-to-people connections and educational exchanges, noting that they had been adversely affected by the pandemic but are now beginning to recover.
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng began his speech by extending heartfelt thanks to the business community for their role in fostering US-China cooperation. He highlighted the event’s theme of stability as reflective of the current state of the bilateral relationship, noting the importance of the summit between Presidents Biden and Xi that took place in San Francisco in November 2023. With this year marking the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties, Han highlighted the positive outcomes of economic and trade cooperation, saying that a 200-fold increase in trade over that 45-year period alongside significant investments underscored the contributions of US companies to China’s development. He also advocated for a foundation of friendship and mutual respect in the bilateral relationship and an expansion of cooperation areas, reiterating China’s commitment to opening its economy further and protecting foreign investments while contributing to the global economy. The Vice President’s speech conveyed optimism for the future of US-China economic relations, inviting more US businesses to invest in China, and highlighting China’s ongoing high-quality development and economic resilience.
Earlier, the event kicked off with a video celebrating the series of high-level government meetings held between the two sides over the past year, and showcased AmCham China’s role in promoting a more stable and balanced US-China commercial relationship. AmCham China President Michael Hart then officially opened proceedings by welcoming the distinguished guests, including Wang Shouwen, China International Trade Representative and Vice Minister, Ministry of Commerce; Scott Walker, Consul General at the US Consulate in Shanghai; Ma Zhaoxun, Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Zhao Chenxin, Vice Minister, National Development and Reform Commission; and Sima Hong, Vice Mayor of Beijing. Hart noted that the annual dinner is AmCham China’s largest platform for members to engage with senior officials and allows the Chamber to show appreciation to both the governments of China and the United States for their continued support of the business community. “As the US-China relationship evolves and changes, we’re proud to remain here in China, advocating for greater economic understanding and engagement,” Hart remarked.
Prior to the main event, Vice President Han met with the AmCham China leadership in a small group meeting that was also attended by Ambassador Burns and five Chinese officials of ministerial rank.
AmCham China would like to thank CCPIT for their continuous support and the major sponsors of the event for their generous support: Honeywell, Amway, ExxonMobil, Coca Cola, Merck, FedEx, AbbVie, and Babycare.