At its annual gala in New York on Thursday, the China General Chamber of Commerce-USA (CGCC) convened approximately 300 senior executives, government officials, and business leaders to address navigating ongoing trade complexities between the world’s two largest economies. The event, themed “Together We Gallop Toward the Future,” served as a platform to emphasize resilience and the critical need for sustained dialogue.
CGCC Chairman Hu Wei, who also serves as President and CEO of Bank of China USA, outlined the significant challenges member companies currently face. These include escalating operational costs, persistent supply chain disruptions, and increasing regulatory hurdles in cross-border commerce. Despite these headwinds, Hu highlighted the remarkable adaptability demonstrated by Chinese businesses operating in the US. He issued a call to action for policymakers in both nations to heed the business community’s perspective, stating, “I have witnessed firsthand the power of dialogue and engagement… real progress is made through steady relationship and is in action.”
Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng delivered a keynote address reinforcing China’s commitment to high-quality development and high-standard opening-up, irrespective of the external environment. He pointed to burgeoning industrial clusters in strategic sectors like new energy, advanced materials, aviation, aerospace, and the low-altitude economy as sources of future multi-trillion-yuan markets. Ambassador Xie also announced plans to expand pilot programs opening value-added telecommunications, biotechnology, and wholly foreign-owned hospitals to foreign investment. While urging deeper cooperation, he called on American officials to foster a more open, fair, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises, including providing visa and border entry facilitation.
The gala also recognized standout corporate achievements. Vornado Realty Trust received the “Outstanding Partner of the Year” award for its long-standing professional collaborations with CGCC members. Michael Franco, President and CFO of Vornado, celebrated these relationships built on “mutual respect and confidence,” and announced that Chinese pop culture brand Pop Mart would open a new flagship store in its Times Square retail space. Pop Mart, alongside construction machinery giant Sany Group and Sunon Furniture LLC, were honored as “Brands of the Year” for embodying creativity, resilience, and a future-driven spirit. Sany North America President Xiang Fei encapsulated the evening’s sentiment, remarking, “Success is not just about revenue and size. It’s about delivering our values,” and reaffirming a commitment to strengthening US-China cooperation through long-term investment.