Seize the major opportunities in China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation and jointly draw a blueprint for mutual benefit—Keynote Speech by H.E. Ambassador Xie Feng at the China General Chamber of Commerce—Chicago Ninth Annual Gala

把握中美经贸合作重大利好 共绘两国互利互惠美好蓝图——谢锋大使在美国中国总商会芝加哥分会第九届年会上的主旨演讲

Chairman Ni Pin,

Chairman Hu Wei,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

尊敬的倪频会长，胡威会长，

女士们、先生们，朋友们：

It is a great pleasure to join you virtually. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the China General Chamber of Commerce-USA (CGCC). I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to the CGCC and the CGCC-Chicago for your important contributions over the years to facilitating China-U.S. business exchanges, advancing bilateral economic and trade cooperation, and promoting the development of the overall China-U.S. relationship. I wish you greater success in the next 20 years from this new starting point!

很高兴同大家“云端相聚”。今年是美国中国总商会成立20周年。我谨对总商会和芝加哥分会多年来为协助中美企业交流、促进两国经贸合作、推动中美关系发展所做重要贡献表示赞赏和感谢。预祝总商会和芝加哥分会以此作为新起点，在下一个20年取得更大作为！

The theme of this year’s gala is “Apply · Advance · Achieve — Driving Forward Together”. This echoes both the common aspiration of the international community for development and prosperity amid changes never seen in a century, and the joint pursuit of China and the United States of rejuvenation and greatness. It should therefore be a shared goal for the business communities of both our countries. On the path forward, I am most happy to share with you two pieces of great news:

本次年会以“赋能、突破、共赢——携手共创未来”为主题，既顺应百年变局下国际社会对于发展与繁荣的共同呼声，也承载着中美两国对复兴与伟大的共同诉求，理应成为中美工商界携手奋斗的共同目标。在前行道路上，我们已迎来两项重大利好：

The first one is, President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump recently held a successful meeting in Busan, recalibrating the direction of the giant ship of China-U.S. relations at a crucial moment again, and injecting confidence into both our countries and the world. 

第一项重大利好，习近平主席同特朗普总统在釜山成功会晤，再次在关键时刻为中美关系巨轮校准航向，给两国以及世界吃了一颗“定心丸”。

President Xi pointed out that China and the U.S. should be partners and friends. This is what history has taught us and what reality needs. President Trump said China is the biggest partner of the U.S. Together, our two countries can have many years of success. The two Presidents agreed to maintain interactions on a regular basis, enhance cooperation in economic, trade, energy and other fields, and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the world. Facts have proven that heads-of-state diplomacy is always the anchor of China-U.S. relations, and provides irreplaceable strategic guidance.

习近平主席指出，中美做伙伴、做朋友，是历史的启示，也是现实的需要。特朗普总统表示，中国是美国最大的伙伴，未来美中合作会取得更大成就。中美元首同意保持经常性交往，加强经贸、能源等领域合作，并为世界多做大事、实事、好事。事实证明，元首外交始终是中美关系的“定盘星”，发挥着不可替代的战略引领作用。

Despite ups and downs, China-U.S. relations this year have stayed generally stable. The key insight we can draw from this is that: only when China and the U.S. adhere to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, can we ensure the steady, sound and sustainable development of our relations. 

回顾今年以来的中美关系，虽然经历波折，但总体保持稳定。最深刻的启示就是，中美双方必须遵循相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢三原则，才能确保两国关系稳定健康可持续发展。

Mutual respect is the prerequisite. The two sides need to respect each other’s core interests and major concerns. For China, Taiwan, democracy and human rights, path and system, and development rights are our four red lines, which shall not be crossed.   

相互尊重是前提。双方应尊重对方核心利益和重大关切。台湾、民主人权、道路制度、发展权利是中方的四条红线，美方不能越界。

Peaceful coexistence is the bottom line. For China and the U.S., two permanent members of the UN Security Council and major nuclear-weapon states, peaceful coexistence is not only a duty, but also a must. Any confrontation or conflict between us would be a disaster for both our countries and the whole world. The two sides need to avoid miscalculation through dialogue and manage differences through communication. 

和平共处是底线。作为联合国安理会常任理事国和核大国，中美和平共处不仅应该，也是必须。中美对抗冲突，对两国和世界都是灾难。双方应通过对话避免误判，通过沟通管控分歧。

Win-win cooperation is the goal. The Earth is big enough to accommodate the respective development and common prosperity of China and the U.S. Tariff war, trade war or tech war would lead nowhere. Any attempt of decoupling, supply chains disruption and politicization would benefit no one. Upholding mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is both what the history of China-U.S. relations has taught us, and also the right way for our two countries to get along in the new era.

合作共赢是目标。宽广的地球容得下中美两国各自发展、共同繁荣。关税战、贸易战、科技战此路不通，脱钩断链、泛政治化损人害己。坚持相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢，既是中美关系一路走来的历史启迪，更是新时期两国的正确相处之道。

The course has been set. Our pressing priority now is to work in the same direction, make good use of channels of dialogue in various areas, and faithfully translate the important consensus reached between the two Presidents during their meeting into concrete policies and actions. It would be unacceptable to take one step forward but then half a step back, let alone say one thing but do another. Only when we pull together can we steer the giant ship of China-U.S. relations around hidden shoals, through rough waters, and toward the destination of mutual benefit.

航向已经明确。当务之急，双方要相向而行，用好各领域对话沟通渠道，不折不扣把两国元首会晤重要共识转化为具体政策和实际行动。在此过程中，不能“走一步、退半步”，更不能“说一套、做一套”。惟有同舟共济，中美关系巨轮才能避暗礁、破风浪，驶向互利共赢的彼岸。

The second piece of good news is, the 20th CPC Central Committee adopted at its fourth plenary session the recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, which has drawn a grand blueprint for China’s economic and social development in the coming five years, and will open up broader space for cooperation between Chinese and American business communities.

第二项重大利好，中共二十届四中全会审议通过“十五五”规划建议，擘画了未来五年中国国民经济和社会发展的宏伟图景，将为中美工商界开辟更广阔的合作空间。

China’s dedication to carrying out each blueprint to the end provides certainty for China-U.S. economic cooperation. Through the 14th to the 16th Five-Year Plan periods, we will strive to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035. The 14th Five-Year Plan period is the start; the 16th will see its conclusion; and the 15th therefore will be a key link in between. Fully aligned with the 14th, the 15th Five-Year Plan makes follow-on deployments on consistent, long-term development goals, so as to make sure that the work keeps going. China’s domestic and foreign policies will maintain strategic stability and continuity, which is especially precious in this turbulent and fluid world.

中国坚持一张蓝图绘到底，为中美经贸合作提供确定性。中国通过实施“十四五”“十五五”“十六五”三个五年规划，到2035年将基本实现社会主义现代化。为此，“十四五”是开局，“十六五”将收官，“十五五”承前启后。“十五五”规划将与“十四五”规划无缝衔接，对具有延续性、长期性的发展目标进行接续部署，确保一茬接着一茬干。中国的内外政策将保持高度的战略稳定性和连贯性，这在当今变乱交织的世界尤为珍贵。

China’s focus on high-quality development will unlock huge opportunities for China-U.S. economic cooperation. In the next five years, China’s household consumption as a share of GDP will see a notable increase; significant progress will be made in new industrialization, informatization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization; and industrial clusters in strategic emerging fields such as new energy, new materials, aviation and aerospace, and the low-altitude economy will create multi-trillion-yuan or even larger markets. By 2035, China’s per capita GDP will reach 20,000 US dollars, on a par with that of a mid-level developed country, and its middle-income group will expand to 700 to 800 million. China will grow into the world’s largest consumer market and importer, providing a gold mine for Chinese and American business communities.  

中国坚持推进高质量发展，为中美经贸合作提供大机遇。“十五五”时期，中国居民消费率将明显提高，新型工业化、信息化、城镇化、农业现代化将取得重大进展，新能源、新材料、航空航天、低空经济等战略性新兴产业集群将催生万亿级甚至更大规模市场。到2035年，中国人均国内生产总值将跻身中等发达国家行列达到2万美元，中等收入群体将扩大至7亿至8亿人。中国将成为全球规模最大的消费市场和进口国家，这将是一座中美工商界值得深挖的巨大宝藏。

China’s commitment to expanding high-standard opening up will create new impetus for China-U.S. economic cooperation. We will continue to expand opening up at the institutional level, align with high-standard international economic and trade rules and create greater space for two-way investment cooperation in areas including: protection of intellectual property rights, environmental protection, government procurement, management of science and technology and talent, and quite a number of service industries. Having removed all market access restrictions for foreign investors in the manufacturing sector, we will focus on the opening up of the service sector. This includes expanding pilot programs in value-added telecommunications, biotechnology and wholly foreign-owned hospitals, and further upgrading and expanding our network of free trade areas. China is committed to advancing a broader agenda of opening up across more areas and in greater depth. Embracing China is embracing the future. 

中国坚持扩大高水平开放，为中美经贸合作注入新动力。中国将稳步扩大制度型开放，在知识产权保护、环境保护、政府采购、科技管理、人才管理、教育以及相当一部分服务业行业等领域，对接国际高标准经贸规则，拓展双向投资合作空间。制造业市场准入“清零”后，服务业成为开放重点，增值电信、生物技术、外商独资医院等将扩大开放试点，自贸区网络进一步升级扩围。中国致力于构建更大范围、更宽领域、更深层次的对外开放格局，拥抱中国，就是拥抱未来。

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

女士们、先生们、朋友们，

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “An opportunity, once missed, is gone forever.” So how can Chinese and American businesses fully seize these major opportunities to achieve greater success and play a bigger role in promoting the development of China-U.S. relations and bilateral economic cooperation? I wish to share three hopes:

中国有句古语：机不可失，时不再来。中美工商界如何充分把握上述重大利好，实现自身更快更好发展，并为中美关系发展及两国经贸合作发挥更大作用，我愿提出三点希望：

First, I hope you will enhance confidence in China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation. China-U.S. relations enjoy strong resilience and internal dynamism. While we should not underestimate the difficulties and challenges we are facing, it is even more important that we never give up the hope and efforts of stabilizing bilateral relations. A healthy and steadily developing China-U.S. relationship serves the common interests of all sides, and meets the shared expectation of our two peoples and the international community. “A long journey can be completed only by taking one step at a time.” I would like to encourage you to actively contribute to China-U.S. relations with a sense of mission and responsibility, start with concrete areas and programs, keep making our list of cooperation longer, and instill constant positive energy into bilateral relations.

一是保持定力，增强中美经贸合作信心。中美关系具有强大韧性和内生动力。我们不能低估中美关系面临的困难和挑战，更不应放弃稳定中美关系的希望和努力。要看到保持中美关系健康稳定发展符合各方共同利益，是两国人民之愿、国际社会所盼。“不积跬步，无以至千里”，希望大家胸怀为中美关系添砖加瓦、发声出力的使命感和责任感，从具体领域、具体项目入手，持续拉长中美合作清单，给两国关系发展提供源源不断的正能量。

Second, I hope you will create momentum for strengthening the bonds of practical and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the U.S. The success of China and the U.S. is an opportunity for one another, and our bilateral relations are win-win in nature. Today, over 7,000 Chinese-invested companies are running in the U.S., and about 80,000 American businesses have invested in China. They are the main force and beneficiaries of China-U.S. cooperation. It is estimated that CGCC’s Chinese member companies alone have cumulatively invested over 140 billion US dollars in the U.S., supporting more than 1 million jobs. American companies, at the same time, have invested a total of over 1.2 trillion US dollars in China. We welcome American businesses to invest more in the priority areas outlined in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. Meanwhile, we hope our American friends will also bear in mind the long-term trend and the big picture, and provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese investors here.

二是注入动力，强化中美务实互利纽带。中美各自的成功是彼此的机遇，中美关系的本质是互利共赢。当前在美中资企业超过7000家，美国企业在华投资企业总数约8万家，这些企业是中美合作的主力军和受益者。据统计，仅总商会旗下的中资会员企业对美累计投资就超过1400亿美元，拉动就业超100万；美企在华累计投资超过1.2万亿美元。欢迎美国企业在中国“十五五”优先发展领域加大投资。同时希望美方朋友也要看大势、算大账，风物长宜放眼量，为中国企业到美国投资提供开放、公平、非歧视的营商环境。

Third, I hope you will inject vitality into the efforts to foster friendly exchanges at the subnational level. “When people are of one mind and heart, even a mountain can be moved.” The Midwest of the U.S. has a robust industrial foundation and abundant agricultural resources. It is home to many of the Fortune 500 companies, and accounts for a substantial share of global food and soybean exports. The region is also a pioneer in China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges and subnational cooperation. The city of Muscatine stands as a testament to the friendship between our people. Nanjing and St. Louis forged the first sister-city relationship between our two countries. Projects of Chinese investors like Wanxiang Group and Fuyao Group have made solid progress here and have been warmly welcomed. I hope you will actively support the partnership between our 288 pairs of sister provinces/states and cities, facilitate exchanges between schools, think tanks, institutions and business associations, and pool our people’s goodwill into a mighty momentum that propels the development of bilateral relations.

三是增添活力，密切中美地方友好交往。人心齐，泰山移。美国中西部产业基础雄厚、农业资源丰富，聚集众多世界500强企业，粮食与大豆出口在全球占有重要份额；同时，这里也是中美人文交流与地方合作的典范，马斯卡廷成为中美人民友谊的丰碑，南京与圣路易斯结成中美第一对友城，万向、福耀等中资项目在当地落地生根、有口皆碑。希望大家积极支持两国288对友好省州、友好城市对接，支持双方学校、智库、机构、商协会往来交流，让民心相通的涓涓细流汇聚成两国关系发展的磅礴之力。

Dear friends,

各位朋友，

At the start of September, when trade frictions loomed again, Mr. Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council, came to me at our Embassy. While expressing his deep concern and hope for an agreement through consultation based on equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, he also reiterated his firm resolve to continue leading a delegation to the eighth China International Import Expo. Before that, the China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products led a delegation of entrepreneurs to the U.S., during which it co-hosted the U.S.-China soybean industry partnership event with American partners in D.C. and attended the Heartland Connect for Trade and Investment in Chicago. All these have demonstrated the courage and sense of duty of industries and entrepreneurs in both our countries to boost mutual understanding through action and address challenges with confidence.

9月初，在经贸冲突可能再度升级、阴云密布的时候，美国大豆出口协会首席执行官苏健来使馆见我，一方面表达深深忧虑，希望中美通过平等尊重互惠协商达成协议，另一方面坚定重申将继续组团赴华参加第八届进博会。在此之前，中国食土商会也率企业家代表团到访美国，在华盛顿举办中美大豆产业合作会议，并在芝加哥参加中美地方合作对话会。这些展现了中美两国产业界和企业家以行动促合作、以信心迎挑战的勇气和担当。

“The early bird catches the worm.” Many businesses have taken steps to cast votes of confidence in China-U.S. economic cooperation. Recently, the $2 billion battery project of China’s Gotion High-tech in Illinois has started production, which will create over 2,000 jobs. Last week, GE Healthcare and the Alibaba DAMO Academy signed a cooperation framework letter of intent, introducing medical AI technology into imaging equipment to promote the innovative integration of software and hardware. For such examples of win-win cooperation, the more, the better. 

“早起的鸟儿有食吃”。不少企业已经纷纷用实际行动对两国经贸合作投下信任票。近期，国轩高科在伊利诺伊州电池项目投产，总投资20亿美元，将提供2000多个就业岗位。上周通用医疗与阿里巴巴达摩院签署合作框架意向书，将医疗AI技术嵌入影像设备，推动硬软件融合创新。这样互利共赢的例子对于中美两国来说越多越好。

“By setting sail together, we could ride the wind, break the waves, and brave the journey of ten thousand miles.” Friends from the Chinese and American business communities, let us jointly speak up, take action, and keep the giant ship of China-U.S. relations sailing steadily forward!

“同舟共济扬帆起，乘风破浪万里航”。期待中美工商界为中美关系巨轮平稳前行鼓与呼、起而行！

Thank you very much. 

谢谢大家！