Gansu province seeks more exchanges with US

Gansu province isn't just a critical hub and commercial nexus on the Silk Road, but it also boasts strategic importance with its abundant resources, dynamic industries and vibrant culture.

On Wednesday, a delegation from the province in Northwest China visited New York City to engage in economic, cultural and tourism exchanges with US entities for sustainable development.

More than 70 people attended the afternoon's cultural salon, themed "The Elegant Covenant of Economic Cooperation and Cultural Heritage".

"Traditional industries such as petroleum, chemicals, and technology and equipment manufacturing are accelerating their upgrades, and emerging industries such as new energy and new materials are continuing to form a relatively complete industrial system," said Zhang Jingang, Gansu's vice-governor.

The clean energy sector, particularly in recent years, has seen swift growth, with wind-power capacity ranking third across China, and solar-photovoltaic generation capacity leading the nation, he said.

"Moreover, new energy installations now represent 61.3 percent of our province's total power-generation capacity, positioning us second in China in terms of proportion," he said, adding that the province has high potential for green and clean energy that could collaborate with international entities.

"We really feel everything is coming back in a very positive way," said Jonathan Krane of the US-China Green Institute, highlighting the importance of cooperation on green initiatives.

He said that he just visited China and observed that the green energy market of China is growing.

Representing the institute, Krane signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Gansu Provincial People's Association for Friendship between Foreign Countries, to seek more opportunities and green investment and leading technology on energy reserve with the province.

"We look forward to partnering with Gansu province on green initiatives and also to promote very strong US-China relations," Krane said.

"The Chinese marketplace moves very, very fast. They're constantly innovative. Their destination is to be one of the greenest countries in the world, and we'd like to bring our technology there and help them establish a new regime in the area of fuel efficiency," Michael Daly told China Daily.

Daly, a Nobel Prize nominee in 2024 and CEO of Amaramco Ltd, leads a company specializing in the production of hydrogen fuels. He said that his company will cooperate in the future with Gansu province and China.

"Although China and the United States are separated by thousands of miles, they have close economic and trade ties and complementary interests, making them natural partners," Zhang added,

Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping said that the current processing time for business visas has been reduced to four days, which streamlines the pathway for enhanced business collaboration between China and the US.

With the Chinese economy now on stable ground, there is an optimistic outlook for more US enterprises to "move ahead", exploring further avenues for cooperation and investment in promising sectors, Huang said.

The China General Chamber of Commerce Chairman Hu Wei said the organization is helping companies and sectors in China and the US to build connections.

"Our mission is not only to support our members navigating the complexity of the US market but also to serve as a bridge to the two parts, creating more business opportunities and investment means for both nations," he said.

The culture and art of Gansu also attract a great number of international travelers.

Gansu is a "melting pot", where ancient cultures intermingle, including those from the Silk Road, Yellow River and various folk traditions. One of the famous cities, Dunhuang, serves as a unique intersection for the great civilizations of China, India and Greece.

The region is also famous for its enchanting natural wonders like the Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake.

"This year, our 'Tianshui spicy hotpot' has truly taken the country by storm, serving as a testament to the significant impact tourism has had on Gansu's economic growth over the years," Zhang Baojun, from the foreign affairs office of Gansu, told China Daily.

"We're looking forward to this visit as an opportunity to forge stronger connections with different circles in the US and expand Gansu's openness to the world," he said.

"In doing so, we also hope to contribute to the enhancement of China-US relations from Gansu's standpoint."