2007 US-China Business Matchmaking (West China) Conference

Co-organized by US-China Exchange Association (USCEA), Chongqing Foreign Trade & Economic Relations Commission, US Small Business Administration (SBA) and US National League of Cities (NLC), the 2007 US-China Business Matchmaking (West China) Conference was held in Chongqing Kingworld Hotel from June 27 through June 28, 2007.

Launched by USCEA, US-China Business Matchmaking Conference is a high-level international business and trade event focusing on foreign investment, matchmakings, and city cooperation. The 2007 conferences have been respectively held in Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing.


Chongqing is an economic engine in the west part of China. This year is also the 10th anniversary of Chongqing's establishment as one of the China's provincial-level municipalities. Holding the conference in Chongqing indicates the strong interests and enthusiasm in the development of Western China by US companies.


The Conference was attended by Mr. Ronald Bew, Former SBA Associate Deputy Administrator & Director of Richmond District，Virginia, Mr. Ted Ellis, Mayor of Bluffton, Indiana, Dr. George Wang, President of US-China Exchange Association, Ms. Daisy W. Lynum, Mayor Pro Tem, Commissioner of Orlando Council, Florida, Mr. Harris Nelson, Mayor of Roanoke, VA, Mr. Jerry Libbin, Vice Mayor, Commissioner of Miami Beach City，Florida, Mr. Mylo Einarson, City Administrator, Grafton, North Dakota and Mr. Jean Marc Pelletier, Mayor, City of Brossard, Quebec, Canada, Mr. Robert Brown, President, Kentucky State World Trade Association, Mr. David Burton, President, National Minority Manufacturing Institute, Maryland, as well as Mr. David Bruno, VP, American International Trade Center, along with more than 50 North American entrepreneurs and corporate executives with hundreds of business projects.


Chongqing Municipal Government also paid great attention on this conference. Mr. Wang Yang, Secretary of Chongqing Municipal Party Committee, met with Mr. Ronald Bew, Former SBA Associate Deputy Administrator & Director of Richmond District and other guests, and delivered a keynote speech at the US-China Business Cooperation Forum. He emphasized that, for the development of Western China, it is very important for Chongqing to set up the economic cooperation relationship with American cities. On the company side, Chongqing needs to import advanced technology and management skills while the American SMEs need to expand their overseas market. China and US are strongly complementary and hold great cooperation potentials.


More than 350 companies from both countries attended this conference. These companies, bringing about 400 business interests, primarily in the areas of manufacturing, automobile, motorcycle parts, paper making, metallurgy, chemistry, tourism, agriculture, as well as services, such as investment consultancy, law consultancy and HR. At the conference, a number of US-China companies signed cooperative agreements with each other. For example, US Freight Master Logistics Co., Ltd had signed an agreement with Minsheng International Freight Co., Ltd. US CADET Hotel reached an agreement on importing bed mattress with Jiameng Bed Mattress Co., Ltd.


At the conference, five pairs of American and Chinese cities signed cooperation agreements with each other to establish a long-term economic cooperation relationship: Chongqing Jiu Longpo District vs. Roanoke, VA, Qijiang County vs. Bluffton, Indiana, Bishan County vs. Grafton, North Dakota, Nanchuan District vs. Miami Beach City，Florida, Wansheng District vs. Brossard, Quebec, Canada. The US mayors expressed their willingness to help the partner Chinese cities hold business promotion conferences in their local cities, provide financing services to local Chinese companies, and extended formal invitations to the Chinese mayors and entrepreneurs to visit USA in the near future.


At the US-China Business Cooperation Forum, Mr. He Weiwen, Former Commerce Counselor, Chinese Consulate General in New York, also held a seminar on "the Great Potential of US-China Economic Development" for the Chinese officials and entrepreneurs. He discussed in details on the current situation of US-China trade status, how to expand to the US market, and the cooperation between Sino-American cities and Sino-American SMEs. His talk won great acclaim from the audience and his newly-published book "Succeed in America" were soon bought out by the audience.


On June 28, 2007, Mr. Yin Mingshan, President of Chongqing Lifan Group and Chairman of Chongqing's Chamber of Commerce, gave a presentation on Chongqing's economic potential and sound investment environment at the US-China Business Banquet. And next day, all the US business delegation members visited Lifan Group, and they were deeply impressed by their production capability and achievement, and most importantly, their great potential in the global auto market.