In a written statement, Xi hoped for the G20’s greater role as an important platform for international economic cooperation.
This year’s G20 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for Nov. 18-19, marks the first gathering of the kind since the accession of the African Union (AU) as a full member, a historic milestone that strengthens the voice of the Global South.
Javier Miranda, former president of Uruguay’s Broad Front party, expressed his hope that this summit will mark a significant step toward building a multi-polar world — one that fosters dialogue.
In a world fraught with wars and conflicts, the commitment to dialogue stands as one goal of this G20 meeting, he told Xinhua.
Following its assumption of the presidency, Brazil has established the summit theme as “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet.” Key priorities outlined by the Brazilian government include combating hunger, poverty, and inequality, advancing sustainable development, and driving reforms in global governance.
“Building a just world requires the G20 to honor the principles of mutual respect, equal-footed cooperation and mutual benefit, and support Global South countries in achieving greater development,” Xi said in a signed article published in Brazilian media outlet Folha de S. Paulo on Sunday.
“Building a sustainable planet requires the G20 to promote sustainable production and lifestyle as a way to achieve harmony between humanity and nature,” he said.
The Chinese president also pledged China’s active support for the initiative of a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty proposed by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
“As we gather at the G20 to address critical global issues such as governance, hunger, sustainability, and the environment, we recognize the crucial role of our partnership with China,” said Rodrigo Castro, deputy secretary for Major Events and Promotion Actions of the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro.
Many of the solutions to address challenges faced by developing nations stem from ideas and practices already implemented in China, Castro said.
“For us Brazilians who are hosting the G20 … we are very proud to welcome the president and the entire Chinese delegation,” he told Xinhua.
Apart from the G20 summit, Xi is also to pay a state visit to Brazil, as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
During the visit, Xi will hold an in-depth exchange of views with the Brazilian president on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common interest.
Brazil is the second stop of Xi’s two-nation tour, which has taken him to Peru. In Lima, he kept to a tight schedule, attending the 31st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, paying a state visit to Peru and holding a series of bilateral meetings, including one with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, on the sidelines of the APEC meeting.
He made the remarks when addressing the 31st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in the Peruvian capital. Under this year’s theme of Empower, Include, Grow, APEC members agreed to work towards an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community at a time of mounting challenges and uncertainties.
China’s hosting of the 2026 APEC summit underscores its advocacy for openness and cooperation, serving as a tangible step toward strengthening Asia-Pacific solidarity and fostering an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.
It is expected to play a positive and pivotal role in building broader consensus and deliver more tangible results for regional connectivity and a more balanced, sustainable, and inclusive growth of Asia-Pacific and beyond.
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It will mark the third time China has hosted APEC. When China first hosted the APEC summit in 2001, it was poised to join the World Trade Organization, signaling its readiness to step fully into the global economic arena.
By the time China hosted APEC again in 2014, the country had become an economic powerhouse, driving global growth through deepened integration into the world economy.
Now, China is set to play host again with a significant mission: to unite Asia-Pacific economies to champion open economic and trade cooperation while rejecting protectionist and confrontational trade tactics.
To advance Asia-Pacific cooperation, China took the initiative to shoulder the responsibility by offering to host APEC in 2026, which is welcomed by APEC members and has received their endorsement at this year’s APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Saturday.
“We look forward to working with all parties to deepen Asia-Pacific cooperation to the benefit of the peoples in the region,” Xi said during his speech.
China’s previous experience in hosting APEC demonstrates its ability to build consensus, said Carlos Vasquez, 2024 chair of APEC senior officials ambassador.
“China played a very important role along with some other very important economies … to gain consensus again from the very beginning in the APEC year 2024 here in Peru,” said Vasquez.
Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, executive director of the Islamabad-based Centre of South Asia and International Studies, said it is foreseeable that China will further share the achievements of its policies of openness, modernization, digitalization, and qualitative industrial development.
He expressed the hope that Chinese policymakers will share new befitting propositions, plans, and initiatives to enhance regional and global economic integration and foster international cooperation.
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During his speech, Xi urged APEC economies to “act in solidarity and cooperation to meet the challenges, fully deliver on the Putrajaya Vision 2040, build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future, and start a new era in Asia-Pacific development.”
The Putrajaya Vision 2040, adopted by APEC leaders in 2020, envisions “an open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040, for the prosperity of all our people and future generations.”
This vision of shared prosperity and enduring stability faces growing challenges. Geopolitical tensions, coupled with economic disruptions fueled by unilateralism, protectionism, and attempts at “decoupling” and “de-risking,” have placed unprecedented strain on the region’s stability and growth.
“We should stay committed to multilateralism and an open economy, firmly uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, fully reactivate APEC’s role as an incubator of global economic and trade rules, and advance regional economic integration and connectivity,” said Xi.
He also emphasized the need to make green innovation a catalyst for the Asia-Pacific and called on APEC members to increase support for developing economies and disadvantaged groups and work together to grow the pie and distribute it equitably to allow more economies and people to benefit from development.
Neo Letswalo, a researcher at the Department of Politics and International Relations in South Africa’s University of Johannesburg, said APEC members should foster more regional integration efforts, starting with establishing joint commitments to enhancing free trade, decarbonization and investments, as “strong economic interdependency prevents conflict and tension.”
In the views of Khan, “Xi’s suggestions facilitate a positive, productive, and participatory trading system, producing win-win situations for every country in the Asia-Pacific.”
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For the past three decades, APEC members have joined hands towards closer cooperation and deeper regional integration, making Asia-Pacific the world’s most dynamic and promising economic powerhouse, as well as a key driving force for global growth and poverty reduction.
Today, the world looks different. It is gripped by anemic growth and confronted with challenges such as unilateralism and protectionism. China, which has made great strides in economic growth and social development since its reform and opening up over 40 years ago, has offered and will continue to provide solutions to these problems.
Opening up is a distinct hallmark of Chinese modernization, and China has remained committed to opening its door wider to the world.
China continues to implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership against high standards, and is also working actively to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, Xi said.
“China welcomes all parties to continue riding the ‘express train’ of its development and grow together with the Chinese economy so that we can all contribute to the modernization of all countries featuring peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and common prosperity,” he added.
In interviews with Xinhua, Asia-Pacific experts and officials noted that China’s remarkable success through high-quality opening up has given it a deep understanding of the importance of an open global economic system and the critical need to advance multilateral and win-win cooperation.
As a major country in the Asia-Pacific, China “has consistently adhered to a development path that aligns with APEC’s spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and mutual benefit,” said Woo Su-keun, director of the Institute of East Asian Studies of Korea.
“It is more important for countries to demonstrate strong leadership through concrete actions rather than words,” Woo said.
For Ong Chong Yi, executive director of the Malaysian think tank Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia-Pacific, China has opened its market to provide development opportunities for countries in the region, driving inclusive economic growth within the Asia-Pacific.
“At the same time, China actively supports infrastructure development in developing nations, enhancing connectivity and economic and social inclusivity across the region. These efforts create more opportunities for shared progress and prosperity,” he said.
Navigating a difficult global landscape, China has remained committed to its regional development goals, focusing on the integration of sustainable technologies and digital advancements, Kasemsit, a member of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), said in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua.
“China has been a very dedicated and consistent player in whatever they said they would do, and they have been on track,” he said.
From electric vehicles to renewable energy solutions, Kasemsit noted that China’s production and export capacity have enabled cost-effective access to technology, especially in sustainable sectors, essential for emerging economies striving to achieve their environmental targets.
Underscoring the importance of collaborative platforms in addressing common challenges ranging from digital transformation to food security and climate change, Kasemsit praised China’s vision for an Asia-Pacific Community with a Shared Future and highlighted the need for deeper cooperation among the 21 APEC member economies.
“China’s vision of a shared future is more pertinent than ever. We need more platforms to bring people together and discuss different issues that everyone is facing at the same time, so there is no point closing doors and trying to do away with organizations or groupings like APEC,” Kasemsit said.
As APEC heads into the 2024 summit hosted by Peru, Kasemsit expressed optimism about the continuation of inclusive and sustainable themes introduced in previous years while calling for a renewed focus on long-term collaboration, particularly in areas such as climate change, digital transformation and sustainable agriculture.
With steady commitment and collaboration, APEC will continue to advance economic integration, technological adoption and sustainable growth, he said.
APEC gatherings, renowned for blending economic discussions with cultural exchanges, often feature leaders donning local attire for the iconic “family photo.” This no-tie tradition is seen as a way to cut down on the formality that high-level meetings usually involve.
In these meetings, Xi’s remarks showcase not only his eloquence but also his wit, vividly conveying his vision for Asia-Pacific cooperation. Over the years, his incisive words and catchphrases have offered fresh perspectives on advancing regional growth and fostering deeper collaboration among APEC members.
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During the 2016 APEC gathering, also held in Lima, Xi used an analogy to describe the relationship between China and the wider Asia-Pacific region, comparing it to sweet potatoes, a food native to Latin America.
He explained that while the vines of sweet potatoes may stretch in all directions, they all grow out of their roots. “Similarly, no matter what level of development it may reach, China, with its roots in the Asia-Pacific, will always contribute to the region’s development and prosperity.”
That metaphor holds even truer today. Since joining APEC in 1991, China has become a key trading partner and export market for the majority of APEC members. According to China Customs, China’s trade with APEC economies reached a historic high, surpassing 21 trillion yuan (about 2.92 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first 10 months of 2024, marking a 5.7 percent increase from the previous year and accounting for 59.1 percent of China’s total trade.
In its efforts to promote free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, China has reduced its overall tariff level to 7.3 percent.
“China cannot develop in isolation from the Asia-Pacific while the Asia-Pacific cannot prosper without China,” the Chinese leader made these remarks when he debuted at the APEC stage in Bali, Indonesia, in 2013, highlighting the interconnected growth of the region.
Connectivity stands out as one key theme of Xi’s vision for Asia-Pacific development. He once invoked a concept from traditional Chinese medicine to illustrate APEC cooperation: when there is free flow, there is no pain; when there is pain, there is no free flow. “Connectivity makes the economic arteries of the Asia-Pacific flow more smoothly,” he explained.
During his 2013 trip to Indonesia, Xi proposed the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, a pivotal component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and proposed plans for establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to support the BRI.
To date, more than half of APEC’s 21 economies have engaged in Belt and Road cooperation, with signature projects like the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia and Chancay Port in Peru aiming to help strengthen trade networks and drive growth across the region.
“President Xi has put forward a series of proposals and initiatives to enhance Asia-Pacific regional cooperation, and the BRI is a major one to promote regional comprehensive connectivity,” said Liu Chenyang, director of the APEC study center at Tianjin-based Nankai University.
“These efforts led by President Xi have also shown the world China’s determination to take root in the Asia-Pacific and benefit the region in the long run,” Liu said.
“A LONE GOOSE CANNOT MAKE A FORMATION”
While hosting the 2014 APEC meeting by Yanqi Lake in Beijing’s northern suburbs, Xi compared the 21 APEC economies to 21 swan geese.
The lake got its beautiful Chinese name because the migrant swan geese would flock there for rest each spring and autumn. In Chinese culture, swan geese symbolize faithfulness, resilience, and determination, flying in unison toward a shared destination despite great distances.
“We are meeting here at Yanqi Lake to enhance cooperation and embark on a new flight to shape a new vision for the development of the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. “A lone goose cannot make a formation.”
As a steadfast champion for unity, Xi called on APEC economies to stay committed to mutually beneficial cooperation and fully leverage each other’s strengths to promote development for all. “We should replace the ‘winner-take-all’ mentality with an all-win approach and work together for great development and prosperity of our region,” he noted.
Founded in 1989, APEC was designed to foster economic growth and facilitate free trade and investment across the Asia-Pacific region. Throughout the years, thanks to the joint efforts of its members, the Asia-Pacific region has served as a vital engine of the world economy, driving what Xi has called “the Asia-Pacific miracle.” The latest IMF data show the region contributes approximately 60 percent to global economic growth.
The APEC economies, covering several continents and home to one-third of the world’s population, vary significantly in their development paths and economic conditions. Acknowledging the differences and divergences among those in the region, Xi emphasized, “Those who cherish the same ideals and follow the same path can be partners, and so can those who seek common ground while reserving differences.”
In 2014, under Xi’s chairmanship, APEC economies endorsed a roadmap to advance the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), initially proposed in 2006 in Hanoi, Vietnam. This endorsement was widely viewed as a milestone, marking the official start of efforts to transform a broad vision into concrete actions aimed at elevating Asia-Pacific regional economic integration to a new level.
Sharing Xi’s vision, Montri Mahaplerkpong, executive board member of the Federation of Thai Industries, said, “Adhering to the objective of driving APEC together, whether in big, small or medium-sized economies, we have plenty of room in this world to move the economy forward together, as long as we have the will to make it better.”
“I believe all 21 APEC member economies could do hand-in-hand collaboration by seeking common ground while shelving differences,” said Montri.
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“I was looking at the vast ocean when I boarded the ship, and it struck me that we are all indeed fellow passengers in the same boat,” Xi said while addressing the 2018 APEC CEO Summit hosted at a distinctive setting — onboard the giant cruise Pacific Explorer in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
“As we brave the rough waters of the global economy and confront the many risks and challenges, it is all too befitting that we have come together on this ship to chart the course for future development and cooperation,” he noted.
APEC has faced unprecedented challenges in recent years, from trade frictions to geopolitical tensions. Against this backdrop, Xi has consistently championed genuine multilateralism and warned against antagonism and confrontation. “The Asia-Pacific is no one’s backyard and should not become an arena for big power contest,” he emphasized in the 2022 Bangkok meeting.
During the 30th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in San Francisco last year, Xi posed a critical question: “Where will Asia-Pacific cooperation be headed in the next 30 years?” And he has provided an answer with Chinese insights — build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.
“Community” has always been the keyword of Xi’s foreign policy. At his APEC debut in 2013, Xi urged member economies to strengthen “the sense of community of common destiny.” Five years later in Port Moresby, he advocated for jointly building “a community with a shared future in the Asia-Pacific” to address common challenges.
In 2020, as the world grappled with the pandemic and its economic fallout, Xi, while attending the annual APEC gathering via video link, elaborated on his vision to build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future featuring openness and inclusiveness, innovation-driven growth, greater connectivity, and mutually beneficial cooperation.
The 2020 meeting saw APEC members adopt the Putrajaya Vision 2040 as the guiding framework for future work, calling for the creation of an open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific community.
As Xi prepares to join other Asia-Pacific leaders for discussions under the theme of “Empower. Include. Grow,” observers have set their expectations for the upcoming meeting in Lima.
“The role of APEC in facilitating dialogue among political and economic leaders is more crucial than ever at this time of growing protectionism and economic decoupling,” said Hans Hendrischke, professor of Chinese business and management at the University of Sydney Business School.
China has always been active in pushing emerging market economies and developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region to realize more efficient development, said Dora Isabel Gonzalez, a researcher at the Faculty of Higher Studies of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Acatlan.
“I believe President Xi’s trip to Peru will strongly promote economic, trade and investment cooperation and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region and even globally,” said Gonzalez.
The exhibitor from Mali was using the drum to promote shea butter produced by his manual workshop at the 2024 CIIE in Shanghai, running from Nov. 5 to 10.
“Our company has participated in the CIIE on three occasions, and I always see numerous opportunities here,” said Thera, adding that he is confident of attracting more big clients over the next few days.
According to Thera, his wife, a Chinese national, was the first person who told him that shea butter, a specialty he was all too familiar with during his childhood, may prove a surprising skin care cream option for Chinese people, while the CIIE is the first platform that has shown him he can cooperate with merchants from various countries.
China is offering over 120 free booths and other support measures to 37 of the world’s least developed countries at the 2024 CIIE, thereby helping them showcase their products at the expo. China has also expanded the exhibition area for African agricultural products.
In the area around Thera’s booth, other African exhibitors can be seen introducing farm produce including coffee beans, cashew nuts and tropical fruits, with constant streams of visitors stopping to have a look or taste.
China’s imports of African agricultural products have registered strong growth over the past years with the country rolling out supporting policies, including streamlining customs procedures and reducing or exempting tariffs, said Sun Hong, deputy director of the Institute of African Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
Sun defined the CIIE as one of the platforms enabling Chinese consumers to learn more about African agricultural products, and said that efforts should be made to support more Chinese enterprises in investing in relevant industries in African countries, such as processing, logistics and warehousing.
Holding a large piece of beeswax in one hand and a small box of honey in the other, Jackson Mponela, production manager for commerce and development at Tanzania Future Enterprises Company Ltd., said he is confident about the products and hopes to capture the Chinese market of over 1.4 billion people.
“I watched a video about the CIIE held last year and I was so impressed by the hustle and bustle there, so I figured we should start our first CIIE journey this year,” said Mponela, adding that he expects to secure new partnerships at the expo and learn more about how other companies are being operated.
“We brought many varieties of newly designed handmade Afghan carpets to the expo to better cater to the needs of Chinese consumers,” said Ali Faiz from Biraro Trading Company, which has participated at the CIIE for five consecutive years. Ali added that it used to be difficult for small businesses in Afghanistan to find overseas markets for local products.
To attract more Chinese buyers, Ali decided to use short videos and livestreaming to share knowledge about Afghan carpets and hold cultural experience activities together with other exhibitors during this year’s CIIE.
Helping enterprises from the least developed countries tap the Chinese market and integrate into the global economy is a feature of the CIIE, said Tang Wenhong, assistant minister of commerce, adding that the expo has always been a public good for the whole world.
The CIIE is just one of China’s endeavors to support the least developed countries. In September, China announced that the least developed countries that have diplomatic relations with China would enjoy zero-tariff treatment for all tariff lines starting from Dec. 1 this year.
China will also strengthen cooperation with those countries in terms of inspection and quarantine, and provide vocational training for e-commerce enterprises to help the least developed countries improve their trade capacity, said Tang.
In 2018, when the first CIIE was held, the Danish company displayed a vivid mosaic made by over 100,000 LEGO bricks featuring Jinbao, the mascot of the CIIE, and introduced science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) courses for Chinese schools. This year, the company is highlighting the potential of play for innovation and its commitment to sustainability.
“Since the first CIIE, we’ve introduced 29 novelties at the expo, among which 19 sets are inspired by Chinese culture and traditions,” said Paul Huang, senior vice president of the LEGO Group and general manager of LEGO China.
The LEGO Group is one of the 186 firms and institutions that have appeared at the CIIE seven years in a row, and many of them have signed up for next year’s event.
The CIIE’s full-time attenders have stood witness to and benefited from the evolution of the expo and the Chinese market at large, and have continued to make adjustments so as to take advantage of emerging trends and markets.
At the first CIIE, global industrial technology giant Schneider Electric signed cooperation agreements primarily in the manufacturing and construction industries, but has since expanded to encompass various sectors, including oil and gas, infrastructure, commercial construction, life sciences, transportation, and water services and environmental protection.
As China develops new quality productive forces, innovative technologies are driving the transformation toward digitization and green low-carbon development, which have provided Schneider Electric with a broader space for development, according to Yin Zheng, Schneider Electric executive vice president managing China and East Asia.
Zhang Xiqiang, executive vice president of Nestle S.A. and CEO of Nestle Zone Greater China, said the company has observed that the Chinese consumer market is gradually entering an era of scientific and rational consumption. “The demand in the Chinese food industry continues to evolve, shifting from simply eating well and eating enough to eating healthily and seeking delight from the experience,” he said.
The Swiss company has brought over 420 exhibits sourced from 14 countries and nine major business units, covering niche markets including baby nutrition, health science, confectionery and pet care.
The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) has led a delegation of nearly 400 representatives from 44 Singaporean businesses, marking the SBF’s seventh year at the CIIE.
SBF CEO Kok Ping Soon said the federation is very encouraged to see that the companies are no longer limited to the food and beverage sector. “We are starting to see companies responding to China’s call for more high-quality investment in fields like biotech,” he said.
To mark its seventh consecutive participation, U.S. material-science giant Dow Inc. has brought the most robust lineup and planned for the most agreements signed at the event in its history at the CIIE.
“As we celebrate our 45 years of operations in China, we are looking forward to China’s continued opening up policies that will enable us to further strengthen our deep roots and grow alongside the Chinese economy,” said Kevin Kolevar, vice president of Dow Inc.
Mohamed Youssef, head of the Egyptian Businessmen’s Association, said the “initiative is unique and has started to achieve solid results over the past six years.”
Data showed that in 2022, the fifth CIIE saw 73.5 billion U.S. dollars worth of tentative deals reached for one-year purchases of goods and services, which, Youssef said, occurred while “the world was recovering from an economic crisis resulting from COVID-19.”
Despite the pandemic and regional and international tensions, China’s success in concluding big business deals during the 2022 CIIE was “such a great achievement,” Youssef said.
He said China, the world’s second-largest economy, plays a vital pivotal role in balancing the world’s economic powers.
Youssef emphasized that through the CIIE and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China aims to establish win-win partnerships with developing countries and assist them in making the best use of their resources to achieve development and growth.
“China enhances its relations with other countries via partnerships based on mutual benefit, and the BRI has opened the door for China to view African countries with this vision,” he added.
The head of Egypt’s business community emphasized that African countries, rich in human and natural resources, can benefit from strong partnerships with economically powerful nations capable and willing to drive development in these societies.
Youssef said that the growing Egyptian-Chinese relations will significantly enhance the trade and investment exchange between Egypt and China.
Egypt can be one of the leading destinations for Chinese investment to manufacture products in great demand in the Chinese market, said Youssef, noting that Egypt is a key partner in the China-proposed BRI.
He said one of the CIIE’s key achievements has been its role in introducing the global business community to the opportunities in the Chinese market.
“The expo opens opportunities for all participating countries to exchange information about the comparative and competitive advantages of their products, and thus contributes to and encourages inter-trade between participating states,” Youssef said.
The Egyptian business leader stressed that the participation of both developing and developed countries in the 7th CIIE indicates their awareness that “the CIIE is a very important window not only for the Chinese market but also for the markets of many countries participating in this expo.
They shared their views at the U.S.-China Agricultural Trade Cooperation Forum, held as part of the ongoing seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE), which runs from Nov. 5 to 10.
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For Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council, the international marketing arm of U.S. Soy, China is a key trading partner and the relationship with China is “critically important.”
“U.S. Soy and many other commodity groups here have long-term collaboration relationships with China,” Sutter said, noting that in the case of U.S. Soy, China has been a partner for 42 years.
“We appreciate China’s leadership in opening up and promoting trade,” he said. “Trade is critically important for all of our agricultural commodities. And we’re happy to have a country like China, recognizing that and talking about the importance of it at a forum like the CIIE which is all about trade.”
The world’s first national-level expo focused on imports, the CIIE has featured a section dedicated to U.S. food and agriculture companies since last year, aiming to help them explore the Chinese market.
This year, the section attracted 14 participants. Impressively, within just the first hour of its operation, the total turnover hit 600 million U.S. dollars, according to data from the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai).
“China is our largest and most important market,” said Allisa Lau, China Director of Cotton Council International, a non-profit trade association that promotes U.S. cotton fiber and products, while speaking of the long-standing China-U.S. ties in the cotton industry.
The Chinese and American cotton industries have maintained very close cooperation over the years, and this is not only because of their interdependence but also their mutually beneficial and supportive relationship, Lau said.
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At the forum, many speakers shared similar views that despite the changing global landscape, China-U.S. agricultural cooperation remains beneficial for both countries to shift toward a more sustainable development path.
Janna Fritz, Vice-Chair of the U.S. Soybean Export Council, described the strong China-U.S. relationship in the soybean industry as a “beacon of hope and strength” for global agriculture. The mutually beneficial ties have influenced agricultural practices and lifestyles in both countries, she said.
China’s growing demand for sustainable, high-quality crops has set a high standard for soy purchases in terms of both quality and sustainability, Fritz said. She added that U.S. soy farmers “understand that mission” and will continue to help China meet its ambitious sustainability goals.
Also eyeing the huge cooperation potential, Steve Reinhard, Chair of the United Soybean Board, said that China has entered a stage of high-quality development as it strives to meet the people’s increasing need for high-standard products.
“Our commitment to sustainability could serve as a new productive force for Chinese partners to help with China’s high-quality development,” Reinhard said.
To facilitate this growing partnership, the CIIE has set an example for connecting U.S. agriculture firms with long-term Chinese partners. According to AmCham Shanghai, U.S. companies continued to land orders even after their participation in the expo last year, and the cumulative turnover from these orders has now reached 3 billion dollars.
At the opening ceremony of this year’s expo, Chinese Premier Li Qiang reaffirmed the country’s commitment to “turning its enormous market into global opportunities.” He said in the keynote speech that the country has fully implemented all the opening-up measures announced at the previous six CIIEs, and will continue to expand market access to more sectors.
Ryan LeGrand, president and CEO for the U.S. Grains Council, said that trade in agriculture is a “bright spot” in a complicated relationship between the U.S. and China.
“I think it’s entirely possible that our ideological differences may set a ceiling in our relations, the trade sets a floor in our relations,” LeGrand said, noting that agricultural trade, in particular, helps “set that floor and maintain that foundation.”
“When trade works, the world wins. And I think that certainly applies in the U.S.-China relationship,” he said.
