Washington D.C., January 17 – Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with representatives of the U.S. business community on Sunday in a bid to strengthen China-U.S. ties and promote economic cooperation between the two nations. Han is in Washington D.C. to attend the inauguration ceremony of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday as the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During the meeting, Han expressed hope that U.S. companies would continue to invest and establish deeper roots in the Chinese mainland. \"We welcome U.S. businesses to seize the opportunities presented by China's development and play an active role in fostering steady, sound, and sustainable growth in China-U.S. relations,\" Han said.
The gathering included representatives from prominent organizations such as the U.S.-China Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Han highlighted the importance of the recent phone conversation between President Xi and President-elect Trump, noting that they reached significant common understandings regarding the future development of bilateral relations.
\"China and the United States share broad common interests and have vast potential for cooperation,\" Han stated. \"Getting our relationship off to a good start and ensuring its steady growth serves the common well-being of our peoples and meets the expectations of the international community.\"
Han acknowledged the pivotal role of the U.S. business community in China-U.S. relations, describing them as \"participants, witnesses, contributors, and beneficiaries\" of bilateral economic and trade cooperation as well as China's reform and opening-up initiatives. He assured that China will continue to advance its reform efforts and improve its business environment to facilitate greater cooperation.
Representatives of the U.S. business community responded positively, expressing optimism about China's economic prospects and the opportunities available. They welcomed the encouraging message sent by the recent dialogue between the two presidents. \"As the world's two most dynamic and technologically advanced economies, the United States and China should pursue mutually beneficial cooperation and work towards finding a constructive and stable way to coexist,\" they stated.
The business leaders affirmed their support for strengthening dialogue and communication to advance bilateral relations and economic and trade cooperation.
In addition to the meeting with business representatives, Han also met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Sunday. Han emphasized China's openness to foreign investment, noting that companies like Tesla are welcome to participate in China's development. \"We hope Tesla will deepen its investment and cooperation with China and contribute to the promotion of China-U.S. economic and trade exchanges,\" Han said.
Musk expressed enthusiasm for expanding Tesla's presence in China. \"Tesla is ready to enhance our investment and cooperation with China,\" he said, committing to play an active role in fostering economic and trade relations between the two countries.
Reference(s):
Han Zheng meets U.S. business leaders to strengthen China-U.S. ties
cgtn.com
