Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang (second right), with (from left) AmCham China Senior Director of Government Affairs Helen Ye, President Mark Duval and Chairman James Zimmerman.

November 25, 2015 – The American Chamber of Commerce in China played a key role in cooperative events for this year’s U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade Nov. 22, encouraging Chinese and U.S. officials to cooperate more on priority areas for American business in China. During the visit, AmCham China co-organized the official JCCT cooperative event on healthcare public-private partnerships, and co-sponsored a sideline event on food chains and food trade. The events’ keynote speakers included Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus, Chinese Minster of Agriculture Han Changfu, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. 

“We are encouraged by a number of outcomes from this year’s JCCT,” said AmCham China Chairman James Zimmerman, “and we strongly support the pursuit of a U.S.-China Bilateral Investment Treaty that includes additional protections in the text to ensure future market openings have their intended benefits.”

“We support the commitments made by the two countries’ presidents in September regarding cyber security, and are encouraged by the commitments to bring transparency and clarity to China’s policies on information and communications technology, and to not impose nationality-based conditions and restrictions unnecessarily. As many companies have already been impacted by their development, we will follow the implementation of these regulations carefully.

“We support the commitments to treat imported medical devices equally with domestic products and the reduction of time required to deliver products to the market through greater transparency and simplifying the excessive clinical trials processes,” said Zimmerman. “We look forward to progress in the coming months regarding agricultural biotechnology, and the implementation of future product approvals based on international standards.”

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

The U.S.-China Agriculture and Food Conference was co-organized by AmCham China’s U.S.-China Agriculture and Food Partnership, the U.S.-China Business Council, and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Representatives from U.S. and Chinese government, industry organizations, and major companies on both sides exchanged views on innovation in food safety and bilateral cooperation in food security and food safety. Bilateral members of AFP working groups presented outcomes and future plans for increased cooperation between U.S. and Chinese meat and seed industries. Industry roundtables encouraged governments to increase coordination, create harmonized regulatory standards, increase coordination on food safety systems, and expand the smooth development of food trade.

The U.S.-China JCCT Cooperative Program on “Achieving a Successful Health and Healthcare Ecosystem,” co-organized by AmCham China and HCP, was the first public-private cooperative program held during the U.S.-China JCCT Meeting focused on healthcare. More than 170 U.S. and Chinese industry representatives from pharmaceutical, medical device, hospital, health insurance, and information technology businesses participated. The discussions focused on cooperation between U.S. and China on healthcare systems and how both governments can work with industry to expand healthcare services in both countries through innovation, public private-partnerships and financing and investment. Senior executives from United Family Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Aetna, and other AmCham China and HCP members participated in the discussions.

The chamber also participated in an economic and trade conference and luncheon recognizing the importance of bilateral cooperation at the local level hosted by the Guangdong Provincial Government, as well as a gala dinner celebrating cooperation between the two countries. 

The JCCT, established in 1983, is a forum for high-level dialogue on bilateral trade issues between the United States and China.

About AmCham China

The American Chamber of Commerce in the People's Republic of China is a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose membership comprises more than 3,800 individuals from over 1,000 companies operating across China. The chamber's nationwide mission is to help American companies succeed in China through advocacy, information, networking and business support services. AmCham China is the only officially recognized chamber of commerce representing American business in mainland China. With offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Shenyang and Wuhan, AmCham China has more than 60 working groups, and holds more than 300 events each year. Visit: www.amchamchina.org

About the U.S. – China Healthcare Cooperation Program

The U.S. – China Healthcare Cooperation Program (HCP) is a collaborative initiative, at AmCham China, working to build closer working relations between the US and China governments while leveraging healthcare industry strengths in order to foster long-term cooperation with China in the areas of public health, policy research, training, R&D, technology, and to support government’s goal of enhancing patients access to healthcare services in China. The Program was established in 2011 based on the U.S.-China Public Private Partnership on Healthcare (PPPH) framework, and features Four Working Groups addressing key issues shaping healthcare development in China:  Hospital Management and Healthcare IT, Healthcare Financing, Disease Prevention & Health Management, and Quality and Safety.

About the U.S. – China Agriculture and Food Partnership

The U.S.-China Agriculture and Food Partnership is a private-public coordinator for bilateral food and agricultural cooperation between the United States and China with support from governments in both countries. The AFP was created with the support of the US and Chinese governments to continue in the tradition of the Agricultural Symposium that was a centerpiece of then-Vice President Xi Jinping’s visit to Iowa in February 2012. AFP’s mission is to link U.S. and Chinese public, private, and non-governmental organizations (NGO) across the agricultural and food supply chain in order to advance mutual food security, food safety, and agricultural sustainability through the promotion of cooperative activities between the United States and China and optimal practices in both countries.  

For more information, please contact:

Jane Song

Tel: (8610) 8519-0835

Email: jsong@amchamchina.org