The China Provinces-U.S. States Economic and Trade Cooperation Seminar took place on September 9 in Xiamen during the 25th China International Fair for Investment and Trade, under the theme “Enhancing China-U.S. Subnational Economic and Trade Cooperation to Foster High-Quality, Mutually Beneficial Development.”

In his keynote address, Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative, emphasized that the majority of American companies in China have long been deeply rooted in the market and achieved rapid growth. He noted that China now offers foreign enterprises not only “surface-level advantages” such as competitive costs and market access, but also “deep dividends”, including diverse consumer demand, integrated production and supply chains, an advanced innovation ecosystem, abundant application scenarios, and continuously expanding institutional openness. Amid uncertainties arising from trade protectionism, Ling Ji underscored that China’s high-quality development and innovation momentum remain certain, and investing in China serves as a way to navigate such uncertainties. The Ministry of Commerce will continue to support U.S. companies in achieving greater development in China.

Representatives from American business associations highlighted the long history of cooperation between U.S. companies and China. They expressed confidence in the Chinese market and their local partners, noting significant untapped potential for collaboration.
    They affirmed that maintaining competitiveness in China is essential for sustaining global competitiveness and pledged to actively contribute to China-U.S. economic and trade relations through trust, innovation, and shared prosperity.

Wang Jinfu, Vice Governor of Fujian Province, stated that cooperation between Fujian and U.S. regions has deepened across various fields, with economic and trade relations growing increasingly close. He expressed hope that the event would serve as a bridge to further expand high-standard opening-up, strengthen economic and trade exchanges with U.S. regions, and support the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.

The event brought together approximately 200 participants, including government and business representatives from Chinese regions such as Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian, as well as U.S. states including California, Illinois, Washington, Georgia, and New Jersey. The participants held in-depth discussions on the potential for China-U.S. provincial and state-level economic and trade cooperation, focusing on three key areas: green transition, healthcare, and consumption upgrading. They explored practical cooperation opportunities and conducted on-site matchmaking sessions.