On May 14, Wang Shouwen, Vice Minister and Deputy China International Trade Representative, held a conference call with the American Chamber of Commerce in China and representatives from AmCham China members to hear the briefing on the 2021 American Business in China White Paper and have in-depth exchange of views on China-US commercial ties, business environment, foreign-invested enterprises participating in the dual-circulation development paradigm, among others. Chairman Greg Gilligan of AmCham China and representatives from about 120 member companies attended the virtual meeting.

Wang Shouwen said that at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference last April, President Xi Jinping made clear that China would develop new systems for a higher-standard open economy, which shows China’s confidence and determination to open its door to the outside world and charts the course for our work. The new development paradigm China is expeditiously fostering is not a closed autarkic development loop but more open domestic and international circulations based on greater openness. Enterprises from all countries, including the United States, can get involved on an equal footing. China will further shorten the negative list of foreign investment access, promote the orderly opening up of the service sector, and actively promote the negotiation and implementation of multilateral, bilateral and regional FTAs so as to create more cooperation opportunities for enterprises from all countries.

China will continue to improve the legal system for foreign investment, strengthen policies to stabilize foreign investment and further build a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment, said Wang Shouwen. This year’s AmCham White Paper shows that about half of American companies believe that the investment environment in China is improving; about two-thirds of American companies view China market as a priority and plan to increase their investment in China in 2021. This reflects the confidence of American companies in China's business environment.

Wang Shouwen said that as President Xi Jinping stressed on many occasions, China and the US stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation; cooperation is the only right choice. China appreciates AmCham China’s clear opposition to the full decoupling of the US and Chinese economies and hopes that the AmCham China and American entrepreneurs will play an active role in pushing forward equal and mutually beneficial trade and economic relations between China and the US.

In introducing the White Paper, Greg Gilligan made positive comments on the progress in business environment, protection of intellectual property rights and opening up of the financial sector in China, and expressed the expectations of member companies for a predictable China-US relationship and equal participation in the dual-circulation development. He hoped that the two countries would re-establish communication mechanisms, enhance exchanges at all levels, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as public health and climate change to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results.

Some representatives also put forward specific policy proposals on issues such as intellectual property protection, government procurement, trade facilitation, and visas for foreign employees and their families to come to China. MOFCOM responded to each issue one by one.