Chinese Business Delegation Meets US-China Business Council
A delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs led by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) held exchange talks with the US-China Business Council (USCBC) and its member companies in Washington, D.C., on July 31, according to Xinhua News. Representatives from Chinese and US companies across multiple industries attended the event, engaging in active exchanges aimed at strengthening bilateral business ties.
A Strategic Moment for Bilateral Trade
The meeting came at a pivotal time for US-China economic relations. In May 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump met in Beijing, establishing what both sides described as a “China-US constructive strategic stability relationship.” CCPIT Chairman Ren Hongbin, who led the delegation, emphasized that the important consensus reached by the two heads of state “has provided strategic guidance for practical cooperation between companies of the two countries,” as reported by CGTN.
Ren described the USCBC as “an important counterpart of the CCPIT in the United States,” noting that the two organizations are “both friends in history and partners in reality.” The CCPIT-USCBC partnership spans 51 years of cooperation, according to the CCPIT press conference.
US Companies See Value in Chinese Partnership
Sean Stein, president of the USCBC, said prior to the event that US companies recognize the strengths of China’s economy and innovation system and are seeking to partner with Chinese companies to boost their competitiveness, as reported by Xinhua.
“What they’re talking about is they recognize some of the strengths of the Chinese economy and the Chinese innovation system, and what they’re looking at is what can they learn from the Chinese system and how can they partner with Chinese companies,” Stein said.
Addressing persistent narratives about American companies retreating from China, Stein was unequivocal: “There’s this myth out there that American companies don’t want to do business with China. Or there’s another myth that says American companies are leaving China… All of those are myths. All of those are false,” he told Bastille Post. “American companies are committed to being in China, they’re committed to partnering with Chinese companies.”
A Delegation Reflecting China’s Industrial Evolution
The delegation included 22 Chinese companies from key industries, featuring Gotion High-Tech and Unilumin representing green transition “new three” industries, alongside Rouling Technology and Mars Vision from the frontier technology “new new three” sectors. US companies involved in the exchanges included Cargill, Visa, and 3M, according to the CCPIT press conference.
The visit was part of a broader US tour by the delegation, which included stops in Washington, Utah, Illinois, and other US Midwest states, with more than 10 China-US business matchmaking events planned. The delegation’s itinerary also included the US-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum in Chicago on July 30, which drew over 180 representatives from political and business circles of both countries, as reported by Bastille Post.
APEC ‘China Year’ and the Supply Chain Expo
US business representatives at the Washington event noted that 2026, designated as the APEC “China Year,” presents significant opportunities for both sides to deepen cooperation. China is hosting APEC for the third time this year, with the Economic Leaders’ Meeting scheduled for November 18-19 in Shenzhen under the theme “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together,” according to China Daily.
The China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) was highlighted as a vital platform for practical cooperation between US and Chinese businesses. US representatives said the expo “effectively promotes deeper industrial and supply chain cooperation between the two countries and helps maintain the stability and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains.” The 5th CISCE is expected to be held in 2027.
Trade Data Points to Growing Engagement
The business engagement comes amid concrete signs of expanding trade ties. According to CCPIT data cited at the July 31 press conference, in the first half of 2026, the CCPIT system issued 44,600 certificates of origin for US-bound goods worth $2.95 billion, up 13.38% year-on-year. Nearly 2,000 Chinese companies participated in 87 US exhibition projects during the same period.
However, challenges remain. The CCPIT’s July 2026 Global Trade Friction Index showed the US initiated 17 trade remedy investigations in May 2026, more than three times the combined total of other monitored countries. This underscores the complexity of a relationship where business engagement and trade friction coexist.
What to Watch
As the delegation continues its US visit and both countries prepare for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November, the trajectory of US-China business relations will hinge on translating the strategic framework established at the May summit into tangible commercial outcomes. The upcoming 5th CISCE in 2027 will serve as a key barometer of whether the current momentum in bilateral business cooperation can be sustained.