“What impressed me most about this year’s expo is that more American enterprises have participated. Not only has the exhibition area enlarged and become the biggest among all countries, but the American exhibitors have all shown their masterpieces, many of which are having their global debut,” said Eric Zheng, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai), who was attending the second China International Import Expo (CIIE).

American companies active in participation

Statistics show that the total number of US companies participating in the 2nd CIIE reached 192, an increase of 18% over last year; the total exhibition area of American companies reached 47,500 square meters, up from third place among all the participating countries last year to first place.

Amid the current Sino- US trade friction, it is especially comforting to see more American companies coming to China to take part in the Chinese event.

In Zheng’s opinion, US-funded enterprises are optimistic about the prospects of the Chinese market. They regard the Expo as an important platform for introducing featured products and services to Chinese customers and enhancing their corporate image. “The global executives of many American companies have also come to participate. It is a good opportunity for them to interact with the Chinese government and business officials and to understand the Chinese market and government policies. In general, this year the participation of US-funded enterprises is more active than last year, indicating that they have more recognition of the Expo," said Zheng.

Eric Zheng poses for a photo in front of the exhibition venue of the second China International Import Expo in the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) . [Photo provided by the interviewee]

Zheng introduced that among the participating US companies, many are members of AmCham Shanghai, such as Johnson & Johnson, Thermo Fisher, Corning, Ford, General Motors and 3M, spread over several exhibition areas and many of them showcased their star products and services at the expo. For instance, Johnson & Johnson brought nearly a thousand innovative products of medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods. The latest spine correction treatment program can simplify complex, high-risk spinal deformity surgery and provide more choices to Chinese spinal deformity patients. “These technologies impressed me a lot. I firmly believe that the advanced technology can help Chinese people to enjoy a healthier and better life,” said Zheng.

Spine correction treatment device showcased at the Johnson & Johnson booth. [Photo/ Eastday]

AmCham Shanghai dedicated to CIIE

That so many American enterprises are actively taking part in the CIIE is partly owing to AmCham Shanghai’s vigorous promotion and meticulous organization. As the "Voice of American Business" in China, AmCham Shanghai has long been committed to maintaining an active dialogue with the governments of the United States and China.

In terms of the CIIE, last year, it added a special column to its portal website, and published relevant articles through its WeChat account for member companies to get a better knowledge of the Expo. It also held a promotion conference for representatives of the China International Import Bureau to introduce the highlights and policy support of the Expo to the member companies, as well as a roundtable forum for those members who had signed up for the exhibition to discuss the details. This year, it set up its own booth in the Service Trade Exhibition Area and jointly hosted the 2019 World M&A Conference where Mr. Zheng delivered a keynote speech on US-China economic and trade cooperation.

Eric Zheng (second from left) and his colleagues pose for a photo in front of the booth of AmCham Shanghai at CIIE. [Photo provided by the interviewee]

Zheng went to the United States to study in the 1980s and lived in Washington DC for a long time. In 2005, he returned to Shanghai to work as CEO and President of the subsidiary company of American International Group (AIG) in China.

As a representative of overseas Chinese managers of multinational corporations, he himself has been working hard to contribute to the economic and social development of Shanghai. After taking the leadership position of AmCham Shanghai, he has been dedicated to expanding channels and setting up platforms for communication between member companies and the Chinese and American governments, and has made a lot of efforts to seek Sino-US consensus and eliminate trade friction.

In his words, for member companies, the Expo is an important platform to enhance their corporate image and seek business opportunities. For China, the Expo is a major event of opening up. For such a self-evidently important event, AmCham Shanghai must participate actively.

US enterprises have faith in Chinese market

As the 2019 China Business Report released by the chamber in September says, even amid the current uncertain economic and trade relations between the US and China, the overall performance of US-funded enterprises in the Chinese market is still relatively strong.

“The growing demand for industrial upgrading and huge consumption growth in the Chinese market has been attracting US-owned companies to explore the Chinese market,” Zheng explained. However, he also said that US-funded enterprises are worried about the uncertainty of the prospects for US-China economic and trade relations. If the two sides can reach the first phase of a trade agreement in the near future, it will bring a positive signal to them. In the past year, the Chinese government has carried out a series of opening measures, and if China can further reduce barriers to market access, improve policy transparency, and strengthen intellectual property protection, foreign-invested enterprises will be attracted to operate and develop in China in the long term.

In terms of the CIIE, the review and certification process has seen obvious optimization and efficiency improvements compared with last year. Exhibitors hope to further improve the timeliness and transparency of various information so as to reserve sufficient preparation time.