California, China boost trade ties at forum

When Shanghai meets California, the two major economic entities across the Pacific express their commitment to further develop economic and trade ties while maintaining strong subnational cooperation.

Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Guo Shaochun — addressing the China-California Business Forum in Los Angeles on Monday, at which hundreds of officials and businesspeople from both sides gathered, stressed that the vitality of China-US relations lies with subnational entities.

"Both California and related provinces and municipalities in China have developed and benefited greatly thanks to mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation between them," he said, citing that opening up at a higher level is an important part of China's efforts to develop new, high-quality productive forces.

Guo said that China was California's No. 1 trading partner with two-way trade amounting to over $137 billion in 2023. More than half of the containers entering and leaving the Port of Los Angeles are for trade with China, and 70 percent of the cargo volume at the Port of Long Beach is China-related.

"The security and stability of the industrial chain and supply chain across the Pacific Ocean matters to both sides," Guo added.

California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis emphasized the importance of maintaining friendly relations between China and California.

"I hope people take the opportunity to develop friendships and relationships that are so important to us," she said.

In his keynote remarks, Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng expressed the metropolis' expectation to further enhance substantive cooperation with California.

"Shanghai maintains close economic and trade cooperation with the United States. California, in particular, is a key partner for Shanghai," he told the forum.

Since 1980, when Shanghai and San Francisco became sister cities, many Bay Area companies have used the relationship as a gateway to enter the Chinese market. In recent years, friendly exchanges between Shanghai and California cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have been continuously strengthened.

"Looking to the future, we aim to deepen comprehensive and pragmatic cooperation, achieving a higher level of mutually beneficial and win-win development," Gong said.

While welcoming the delegation composed of over 150 top business leaders and trade officials from dozens of Chinese provinces, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass highlighted the economic ties and climate cooperation between Shanghai and LA.

"Chinese ports are the most significant trading partners for the Port of Los Angeles. Our ports are also leading efforts to decarbonize marine time shipping and port operations," Bass said.

She said that China is the sixth-largest source of foreign-owned businesses in Los Angeles and the third-largest export market for LA carrier companies. Nearly 250 businesses from China have expanded to Los Angeles, creating jobs and economic opportunity. Over the last two years, LA companies have exported more than $60 billion in goods to China.

"The LA-Long Beach-Shanghai green shot shipping corridor is one of the first, the longest, and the busiest transpacific routes to take up this challenge," said Bass. "This important climate cooperation has continued without interruption and with increasing urgency over the past two years."

Looking forward to hosting major international events, like the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028, Bass said there are "more and more" reasons for Chinese visitors to invest in and partner with Los Angeles.

Secretary of California Government Operation Amy Tong, who was born in Guangdong and moved to the US with her family when she was a teenager, shared with audiences how Chinese culture has significantly enriched the state of California, benefiting American communities in numerous ways.

California has long been a hub for culture exchange between China and the US, helping Chinese visitors to feel "welcomed at home" and fostering rich artistic dialogue, she said.

"Numerous museums, galleries and cultural institutions of California have events showcasing Chinese arts, calligraphy, music and dance events like the Chinese New Year celebration, and cultural festivals further strengthen ties and promote mutual understanding," she said, noting that the state has attracted a many Chinese students and scholars.

Recalling Governor Gavin Newsom's trip to China last fall, Tong said she appreciated watching his visit with President Xi Jinping, highlighting the importance of people-to-people cultural exchange.

"The governor's trip was courageous no matter what your political affiliation is," she said. "We need to focus on the culture, the economics and the mutual respect. This is the foundation to our shared relationship."

The forum highlighted the important partnerships between China and California, as a a series of memorandums of understanding (MOU) were signed. Among them were agreements between the Shanghai International Port Group and Matson Inc to promote green shipping corridors; the World Trade Center Los Angeles and the Shanghai Foreign Investment Development Board to strengthen economic ties; and San Francisco International Airport and the Shanghai Airport Authority to promote cultural and tourism exchange.

Since its inception in 2016, the forum has welcomed thousands of guests from academia, business and government from China and the US, in which participants have engaged in professional discussions on topics, including clean tech, e-commerce, agriculture and innovation cooperation. Shanghai is the Guest City of Honor this year.