Regional Cooperation Conference

2004 US-China Business Matchmaking Conference (China Session)

Co-organized by USCEA, US Department of Commerce (DOC) and US Small Business Administration (SBA), 2004 US-China Business Matchmaking Conference (China Session) was held in Shanghai, Changsha, Guangzhou, Jinan and Beijing from June 21 through 30. Through the past four years, this annual event has been well recognized as an effective channel for the exchanges between US and Chinese business communities.

Some 62 US company executives and US government officials, including Mr. Sean King, Special Assistant to Secretary of US DOC, Mr. Craig Allen, Minister-Counselor in Commerce of US Embassy in China, Mr. William Spitler, Director of New York Office of US DOC, Mr. Ken McGuire, Director of Massachusetts Manufacturing Advancement Center, Mr. Robert Goodman, Chairman of Sino-America Trade Development Association, Ms. Dana Eidsness, Director of Maine International Trade Center, and 8 US mayors/vice mayors from Hawaii County, Columbia (South Carolina), Florence (Alabama), New Iberia (Louisiana), Azusa (California), San Ramon (California), Davis (California), and Vallejo (California), attended this significant event. The attending US companies, covering a wide variety of industries such as food, construction materials, IT, electronics and components, textiles and garments, industrial tools, medical equipment, and auto parts, came to seek trade, OEM, joint venture and distributorship opportunities.


For the Chinese side, more than 1500 company executives and government officials including Mr. Jin Xu, Deputy Director General of America and Oceania Affairs Department of Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Ms. Jin Shunzhu, Deputy Commissioner of Shanghai Office of Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Mr. Zheng Maoqing, Deputy Governor of Hunan Province, Mr. Luo Haipan, Vice Chairman of Hunan Provincial People's Congress, Mr. Bao Zhiqiang, Mayor of Jinan City, Mr. Chen Mingde, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou City also presented on the conference.


The conference received continued support from Mr. Bruce Blakeman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of US DOC, Mr. Manuel A. Rosales, SBA Assistant Administrator for International Trade of SBA, Ms. Ma Xiuhong, Undersecretary of Chinese Ministry of Commerce, and Mr. He Ning, Director General of America and Oceania Affairs Department of Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

With the strong endorsement of China's local governments, chambers of commerce and other organizations, as well as USCEA's thorough preparation and its nationwide network, the conference achieved a great success. The US and Chinese companies signed totally 186 LOIs during the conference, worth about 92 million US dollars.


Business cooperation agreements were also signed between 11 pairs of US and Chinese cities, including:
Tanggu District of Tianjin City vs. Vallejo, California
Shengzhou City of Zhejiang Province vs. San Ramon, California
Rugao City of Jiangsu Province vs. Hawaii County, Hawaii
Zengcheng City of Guangdong Provicne vs. Columbia, South Carolina
Fanyu District of Guangzhou City vs. Azusa, California
Yuexiu District of Guangzhou City vs. San Ramon, California
Haizhu District of Guangzhou City vs. Vallejo, California
Shaoyang City of Hunan Province vs. Columbia, South Carolina
Xiangyin County of Hunan Province vs. Hawaii County, Hawaii