China, California strengthen ties at business forum

The 2025 China-California Business Forum in Los Angeles has delivered a strong message of cooperation and mutual benefit, as government officials and business leaders from both sides gathered to promote trade, investment and climate collaboration amid growing global economic uncertainty.

Now in its seventh edition, the forum serves as a flagship platform under the China Provinces-California Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment Cooperation.

This year's event featured East China's Fujian province as the Guest Province of Honor and saw the signing of several new cooperation agreements across trade, green development and education.

Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Guo Shaochun opened Monday's forum by highlighting the long-standing economic ties between China and California. "China has remained California's top trading partner for 15 consecutive years," he said, noting that California exported $15.1 billion in goods and $8.8 billion in services to China in 2023 alone.

"Specifically, around 40 percent of the huge trade in goods between China and the US enters through the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs," Guo said.

He also pointed out China's role as the ninth-largest source of foreign direct investment in the state, supporting over 25,000 jobs, while more than 50,000 Chinese students contribute significantly to California's economy each year.

Toks Omishakin, California secretary of transportation, emphasized the state's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2045, reaffirming its leadership in zero-emission technologies and climate innovation.

The secretary, who followed up Governor Gavin Newsom's historic trip to China in 2023 and visited China just early last year, said China is "pioneering" battery-swapping technology, which enables electric trucks to quickly exchange the heated.

"Hopefully in the coming months, we will be able to initiate a small battery-swapping electric-truck demonstration project in California," Omishakin said.

The California State Transportation Agency has partnered with the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, California-China Climate Institute, UC Berkeley and others to advance the green shipping corridors, the secretary said.

In March, we convened a forum to examine the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Shanghai Green Shipping Corridor, a first-of-its-kind partnership to decarbonize one of the world's busiest maritime routes," Omishakin said. "Linking the two sides through this green shipping concept will continue to be a game changer."

Representing this year's guest province, Fujian Vice-Governor Wang Jinfu emphasized the deepening ties with California in areas such as trade, education and people-to-people exchange.

"Though separated by oceans, Fujian and California share a long history of interaction," Wang told attendees, citing the century-old Guling story as a symbol of enduring friendship between the Chinese and American people.

Fujian's exports including textiles, shoes, and furniture have found strong markets in the US, while California's high-tech and agricultural products are welcomed in China. "The products of both sides have clear comparative advantages and complement each other well," Wang said.

He also highlighted growing educational and cultural exchanges, including sister-city ties between Quanzhou and both Monterey Park and San Diego County, as well as youth forums like the "Gulingyuan" US-China People's Friendship Forum. "There is broad space for collaboration between Fujian and California," he concluded.

Guling, also known as Kuliang, is a historic summer resort in Fuzhou, China. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it became a cherished haven for many American families, who developed deep and lasting ties with the local community and culture. Today, their descendants have come together to form the "Kuliang Friends", a group dedicated to honoring this shared heritage and preserving the enduring friendship between China and the United States.

China is a top export market and trading partner for Los Angeles businesses, including the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), according to Dilpreet Sidhu, deputy mayor of international affairs for the city, who recently led a delegation to the 2025 Shanghai International Friendship Cities Forum, which concluded on May 29.

"While in Shanghai, I had the great pleasure of helping to relaunch Delta's direct flight between Pudong International and LAX. In fact, the inaugural Delta flight from LAX to Shanghai will begin tomorrow," Sidhu told the forum.

Sidhu also mentioned LA's ongoing partnerships with China on education, climate policy, and tourism, noting upcoming global events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games as further opportunities for collaboration.

Maria Salinas, president and CEO of the LA Area Chamber of Commerce, said the forum came at a crucial time in US-China relations. "Despite challenges, California's long-standing ties with Chinese provinces have delivered meaningful outcomes in clean energy, investment, trade and logistics," she said.

Recalling her recent visit to Shanghai led by Sidhu, Salinas pointed to the green shipping corridor as a model aimed at reducing maritime emissions and promoting a sustainable global supply chain.

"This is a shining example of how local cooperation can drive global solutions," she said, adding that their visit of the Port of Shanghai has demonstrated a tangible impact of such initiatives.

Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, also stressed the importance of restoring US-China ties in the post-pandemic era.

"It's great to have so many Chinese leaders come to California to show their interest in growing business opportunities," he told China Daily. "China has so much to offer America, and America has so much to offer China. Doing things together is just a lot better than just competing."

renali@chinadailyusa.com