China and the United States need to strengthen cooperation in commerce and trade and solve disputes through dialogue, Vice-Minister of Commerce Chen Deming said in Beijing on Wednesday. Chen made the remarks at a press briefing during the Third China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), which began on Wednesday and will run through Thursday.
The two countries could reduce friction by expanding trade and increasing investment, said Chen. He praised the Sino-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, which concluded its 18th meeting on Tuesday, saying that it had served as an effective venue for bilateral negotiation.
Chinese data show that bilateral trade volume had risen from less than 2.5 billion U.S. dollars annually in the late 1970s, when China and the United States established diplomatic relations, to 262.68 billion U.S. dollars in 2006.
China has been the fastest-growing export market for the United States for five straight years and is anticipated to become the third largest buyer of U.S. goods this year, after Canada and Mexico.
Chen also urged the world's largest developing and developed countries to jointly tackle new challenges from globalization, which he said include unbalanced development among different regions, expanding income gaps and uneven industrial development. The joint efforts include maintaining a stable currency and the steady development of the domestic economy, he said.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
UA Flight from Shanghai Evacuated in Chicago
A United Airlines flight from Shanghai were evacuated on the runway of the O'Hare International Airport of Chicago, Illinois, Friday, after smoke was detected in the cabin. The UA Flight 836, with 258 passengers and 15 crew members on board, was evacuated after the pilot reported an emergency in the cabin, the US television broadcast company CBS News reported. The pilot reported the emergency at 3:45 PM (2145 GMT) and the plane landed at 4 PM (2200 GMT).
The passengers slid down the emergency chutes and were taken by bus to the terminal. One passenger complained of back pain and was transported to hospital, said Chicago city aviation spokesman Gregg Cunningham. The captain of plane decided to order an emergency evacuation because smoke had been reported in the passenger cabin a few minutes before the aircraft landed, said UA spokeswoman Megan McCarthy. The runway on which the plane landed was closed for 24 minutes, but there was no significant impact to airport operations.
The Chicago Fire Department was called to the scene because of the smoke reports, but the cause of the smoke is not known yet. The airline said they will conduct a complete investigation.
The passengers slid down the emergency chutes and were taken by bus to the terminal. One passenger complained of back pain and was transported to hospital, said Chicago city aviation spokesman Gregg Cunningham. The captain of plane decided to order an emergency evacuation because smoke had been reported in the passenger cabin a few minutes before the aircraft landed, said UA spokeswoman Megan McCarthy. The runway on which the plane landed was closed for 24 minutes, but there was no significant impact to airport operations.
The Chicago Fire Department was called to the scene because of the smoke reports, but the cause of the smoke is not known yet. The airline said they will conduct a complete investigation.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
China, U.S. Sign Agreement on Food Safety
China and the United States signed an agreement here on Thursday, outlining their collaboration to enhance the effectiveness of environmental protection laws and regulations covering imports and exports.
China's quality watchdog chief Li Changjiang and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Stephen L. Johnson signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Third China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), which began on Wednesday and will run through Thursday.
Joint efforts will be made to regulate the import and export products between the United States and China, such as monitoring wastes and recycling materials, guarantee the security of chemicals, and check pesticide residues, according to the MOU between China's General Administration of Quality, Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the U.S. EPA.
Joint activities should also be carried out, such as testing program development, cooperative research and information sharing, and training, according to sources close to the senior officials. The MOU is effective for five years and may be extended with mutual agreement. AQSIQ officials said the MOU would help build mutual contacts and form effective mechanisms to resolve problems and promote the healthy development of mutual trade.
China's quality watchdog chief Li Changjiang and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Stephen L. Johnson signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Third China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), which began on Wednesday and will run through Thursday.
Joint efforts will be made to regulate the import and export products between the United States and China, such as monitoring wastes and recycling materials, guarantee the security of chemicals, and check pesticide residues, according to the MOU between China's General Administration of Quality, Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the U.S. EPA.
Joint activities should also be carried out, such as testing program development, cooperative research and information sharing, and training, according to sources close to the senior officials. The MOU is effective for five years and may be extended with mutual agreement. AQSIQ officials said the MOU would help build mutual contacts and form effective mechanisms to resolve problems and promote the healthy development of mutual trade.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Chinese Tourists Get U.S. Visas for Group Travel
Chinese will soon be able to travel to the United States on tourist visas, according to an agreement signed in Beijing Tuesday. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the two countries to facilitate outbound tourist group travel grants the US Approved Destination Status (ADS) after years of negotiations, making it the 134th country on China's list.
Chinese travelers will be able to travel in groups as early as in spring. Currently, the US issues only business travel visas. The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) said the agreement will, apart from invigorating the tourism industry, provide a strong impetus to bilateral ties in such sectors as the economy, trade and culture.
"The agreement will open a large and growing market for the US travel and tourism industry," US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said Tuesday.
The US Department of Commerce forecast that the number of Chinese visitors would reach 579,000 annually by 2011, up from 320,000 last year. "We are very excited. We have been waiting for this day to come, and it came sooner than we thought," said Jamie Y. Lee, chief representative of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, the first city-level tourism office established in China. More US states and cities will likely open offices in China to promote tourism, she said.
According to the MOU, one of the 14 agreements and memoranda signed during the 18th China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, US destinations will get the green light to market themselves in China. The MOU may be terminated only when significant numbers of group travelers overstay in the US, the Department of Commerce said.
Previously, the worry hindered tourism negotiations, said Li Xinjian, a senior researcher at the school of tourism management affiliated to Beijing International Studies University. But the increase in the number of Chinese outbound tourists and their rising spending power have made the opening of the US market inevitable.
In the past five years, China has overtaken Japan to become the largest source of outbound travelers in Asia. Statistics from the US Department of Commerce indicate that the United States attracted 320,000 Chinese travelers in 2006, up 19 percent from the previous year. Total spending by the Chinese travelers there added up to $2.07 billion last year, up 35 percent year-on-year. The expenditure included accommodation, communications, tickets to tourist spots and shopping. "It is much higher than the average expenditure of Chinese travelers in other countries and regions," Li said. CNTA figures for 2006 showed that the average Chinese traveler spent $735, compared with more than $6,400 in the US. In the long run, tourists' spending will continue to grow, along with the increase in incomes, Li forecast.
Chinese travelers will be able to travel in groups as early as in spring. Currently, the US issues only business travel visas. The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) said the agreement will, apart from invigorating the tourism industry, provide a strong impetus to bilateral ties in such sectors as the economy, trade and culture.
"The agreement will open a large and growing market for the US travel and tourism industry," US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said Tuesday.
The US Department of Commerce forecast that the number of Chinese visitors would reach 579,000 annually by 2011, up from 320,000 last year. "We are very excited. We have been waiting for this day to come, and it came sooner than we thought," said Jamie Y. Lee, chief representative of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, the first city-level tourism office established in China. More US states and cities will likely open offices in China to promote tourism, she said.
According to the MOU, one of the 14 agreements and memoranda signed during the 18th China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, US destinations will get the green light to market themselves in China. The MOU may be terminated only when significant numbers of group travelers overstay in the US, the Department of Commerce said.
Previously, the worry hindered tourism negotiations, said Li Xinjian, a senior researcher at the school of tourism management affiliated to Beijing International Studies University. But the increase in the number of Chinese outbound tourists and their rising spending power have made the opening of the US market inevitable.
In the past five years, China has overtaken Japan to become the largest source of outbound travelers in Asia. Statistics from the US Department of Commerce indicate that the United States attracted 320,000 Chinese travelers in 2006, up 19 percent from the previous year. Total spending by the Chinese travelers there added up to $2.07 billion last year, up 35 percent year-on-year. The expenditure included accommodation, communications, tickets to tourist spots and shopping. "It is much higher than the average expenditure of Chinese travelers in other countries and regions," Li said. CNTA figures for 2006 showed that the average Chinese traveler spent $735, compared with more than $6,400 in the US. In the long run, tourists' spending will continue to grow, along with the increase in incomes, Li forecast.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
U.S. Firms still Keen on China
US companies are increasingly keen to do business in China, despite facing the same challenges reported five years ago.
That's according to the 2007 China Business Report, released by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai. The report is based on the chamber's annual China Business Survey, to which 267 of its 1,600 corporate members responded.
The results indicate that US companies in China see it as a destination for investment and business, with many planning to increase spending in the nation.
"The most significant trend is that US companies are keen on doing business in China, despite the challenges they meet," said Brenda Foster, president of AmCham Shanghai.
"Overall, US businesses in China continue to increase their investments in China and expand.
"Despite the positive outlook and improved operating margins, competitive forces and rising costs are increasingly squeezing margins for US companies."
Foster said the top challenges identified by respondents are consistent with its previous surveys, which began in 2003.
"The most important change for 2007 is that human resource constraints, such as attracting and retaining qualified staff, have become the top challenge," said Foster.
Over 65 percent of respondents reported a negative impact on business operations in China because of difficulty attracting, developing and retaining skilled, technical and managerial staff.
According to HR expert Stephanie Liu of Armstrong World Industries, the imbalance in demand and supply of skilled staff is unlikely to change in the near future.
The survey found that top challenges also include the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). But 50 percent of respondents said they believe IPR protection has improved.
That's according to the 2007 China Business Report, released by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai. The report is based on the chamber's annual China Business Survey, to which 267 of its 1,600 corporate members responded.
The results indicate that US companies in China see it as a destination for investment and business, with many planning to increase spending in the nation.
"The most significant trend is that US companies are keen on doing business in China, despite the challenges they meet," said Brenda Foster, president of AmCham Shanghai.
"Overall, US businesses in China continue to increase their investments in China and expand.
"Despite the positive outlook and improved operating margins, competitive forces and rising costs are increasingly squeezing margins for US companies."
Foster said the top challenges identified by respondents are consistent with its previous surveys, which began in 2003.
"The most important change for 2007 is that human resource constraints, such as attracting and retaining qualified staff, have become the top challenge," said Foster.
Over 65 percent of respondents reported a negative impact on business operations in China because of difficulty attracting, developing and retaining skilled, technical and managerial staff.
According to HR expert Stephanie Liu of Armstrong World Industries, the imbalance in demand and supply of skilled staff is unlikely to change in the near future.
The survey found that top challenges also include the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). But 50 percent of respondents said they believe IPR protection has improved.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
US-based Law Firm Partnering with Chinese Counterparts
Executives from a Los Angeles law firm held a successful meeting with its Chinese counterparts in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province on November 13, 2007, thanks to ABG's efforts. China Representative Mike Wang of ABG accompanied the group to meet the head of a Chinese firm with 9 offices around China.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Meeting with Perfect Express Corp.
Mr. Brian Su of ABG held a meeting with Mr. Patric Chen, president of Perfect Express Corp. at its headquarters near Chicago. Perfect Express Corp. is a full service custom brokerage and logistics provider in the Midwest, with offices in New York and Los Angeles.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Introducing "Chinese Market Entry Package"
Is your company ready for doing business with China? Our "Chinese Market Entry Package" will not only help you promote your business and products to China market but also satisfy the needs of Chinese buyers and consumers! Our Chinese language package includes: one-page PDF file of your company introduction with business logo, photos and contact information, this downloadable file would be great for your website; one-page company brochure (MS Word file) for hand-outs to Chinese buyers, you'll receive the original file for future duplications. Your package starts at $599, including English to Chinese translation. Log on http://www.midwestUSAChina.com for details.
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