2008 US-China Business Matchmaking (China) Conference

Co-organized by US-China Exchange Association (USCEA), US Small Business Administration (SBA), US National League of Cities (NLC), US National Minority Manufacturing Institute (NMMI) and MeetChinaBiz.org, the 2008 US-China Business Matchmaking (China) Conference was held in Shanghai Galaxy Hotel and Cixi Hangzhou Bay Hotel on June 4-8, 2008.


The Conference was attended by Mr. Ronald Bew, Former SBA Associate Deputy Administrator & Director of Richmond District, Virginia, Ms. Daisy W. Lynum, Vice Chair, International Council of NLC and Mayor Pro Tem, Commissioner of Orlando Council, Florida, Mr. E.W. Cromartie, Mayor Pro Tam, Columbia, South Carolina, Mr. Harris Nelson, Mayor of Roanoke, VA, Ms. Melody Cooper, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Corpus Christie, TX, Mr. David Burton, President, National Minority Manufacturing Institute, Dr. George Wang, President of US-China Exchange Association, and more than 40 other North American entrepreneurs and corporate executives with hundreds of business projects.


Mr. Xu Xu, Special Commissioner of Chinese Ministry of Commerce in Shanghai, Mr. He Weiwen, Former Commerce Counselor, Chinese Consulate General in New York, Mr. Hong Jiaxiang, Party Secretary of Cixi Government, Mr. Xu Huajiang, Vice Mayor of Cixi Government, Mr. Hu Maolin, Vice Director, Yancheng Economic Development Zone, Mr. Zhang Yi, Vice Director, Kaifu District, Changsha City, Mr. Yun Weidong, Vice Mayor, Ejin Horo County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as about 20 Chinese local governmental officials and 600 Chinese entrepreneurs also attended the conference.


At the conference, Mr. Xu Xu, Special Commissioner of Chinese ministry of Commerce in Shanghai, delivered a keynote speech on US-China trade relationship. He noted that with the rapid growing bilateral trade, bilateral investment between US and China is also increasing, and the economic relationships between the two countries are getting more and more strengthened.


Mr. Ronald Bew and Ms. Daisy W. Lynum also spoke on the US-China SMEs cooperation. They both expressed their strong confidence in the prospects of the cooperation between US-China SMEs and cities. Meanwhile, they comments highly of the US-China Business Matchmaking Conference which has been held successively for 8 years.


Mr. He Weiwen also spoke at the seminar for the Chinese officials and entrepreneurs. The seminar focused on the issues of how to invest in the US for Chinese entrepreneurs. His remarks won great acclaim from the audience.


More than 40 foreign companies attended this annual conference. The majority of them are from USA and some of them are from Canada and Australia. These companies, bringing in about 200 business projects, primarily in the areas of financing & investment, electronics, machinery, auto parts, biopharmaceutical, health care, metallurgy, furniture, door & windows manufacturing, garment, international purchasing, wholesaling, outsourcing service, tourism, agriculture, logistics, HR, education and consultancy. Through the one-on-one meetings, both parties had reached agreements on more than 90 potential cooperation projects, involving USD $86 million. It is expected that more agreements will be signed in the next few months with the coordination of USCEA.


In the morning of June 4 and the afternoon of June 6, 7 pairs of American and Chinese cities signed cooperation agreements with each other to establish a long-term economic cooperation relationship: Cixi City, Zhejiang Province vs. Orlando City, Florida, Columbia, South Carolina, Roanoke, VA and Corpus Christie, TX; Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province vs. Columbia, South Carolina; Kaifu District, Changsha City vs. Roanoke, VA; Ejin Horo County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region vs. Corpus Christie, TX.


"2008 Seminar on Chinese Leading Companies' cooperation with US" and "2008 US-China Exchange Program Design Contest Award Ceremony" were also held in the morning of June 5.


In the afternoon of June 6, US officials and entrepreneurs visited Hangzhou Bay New Zone, Cixi City, Zhejiang Province. On June 8, US officials and entrepreneurs visited the 10th Zhejiang Investment & Trade Symposium and 7th China International Consumer Goods Fair.