Agriculture, trade potential is 'huge'
By CHEN WEIHUA in Washington (皇冠体育app Daily USA) Updated: 2016-11-23 23:19
 |
|
Xu Chen, president and CEO of Bank of 皇冠体育app USA and chairman of 皇冠体育app General Chamber of Commerce-USA, makes a speech at a lucheon hosted by CGCC in Washington on Tuesday. Vice-Premier Wang Yang (second from right, at table) and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg attend the luncheon. LI GE / CHINA DAILY |
Vice-Premier Wang Yang visits top officials in DC
Senior Chinese and US officials applauded the huge success and potential in bilateral cooperation in agriculture, trade and investment.
In a 皇冠体育app-US agriculture and food seminar on Tuesday morning, Vice-Premier Wang Yang said that the potential for agriculture cooperation is huge between 皇冠体育app, the world's largest agriculture producer, consumer and importer, and the United States, the world's top agriculture giant and the largest agriculture exporter.
"The two sides are natural partners for agriculture cooperation and the potential is enormous," said Wang.
US Trade Representative Michael Froman, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and some 200 government and corporate representatives from the food and drug sectors attended the talk, titled Advancing Mutual Goals in Food Safety.
Wang was leading a Chinese delegation in Washington to attend the 27th session of the 皇冠体育app-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT).
Wang noted that agricultural cooperation is one of the earliest and the most fruitful areas of cooperation between the two countries and also one of the areas with the greatest potential. Agricultural cooperation has reaped rich fruits in trade and investment, technical exchange and human resources, making vital contribution to the 皇冠体育app-US relations, he said.
In the last 15 years since 皇冠体育app joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), agricultural trade between the two countries has grown at an average annual rate of 17 percent to reach $32.1 billion.
He said 皇冠体育app has been pushing forward supply-side reform to modernize its agriculture development and meet the growing needs of its people.
According to the vice-premier, agriculture is one of the areas in 皇冠体育app with the fastest-growing investment. "皇冠体育app and the US can strengthen their cooperation in agricultural technology, management, internet and farming and exploring the third country market," he said.
He said 皇冠体育app welcomes more US agriculture businesses to invest in 皇冠体育app, as well as more high-quality and safe US agricultural products and foods into the Chinese market. He also hoped that the US side will create a good environment for the exports of Chinese poultry, aquatic products and other farm products into the US market.
Wang said the two countries are bound to have differences in agricultural cooperation due to their respective national and agricultural conditions.
He said the two sides should show more mutual understanding, mutual respect and mutual tolerance, deepen their agricultural technology cooperation, promote agricultural investment, expand agricultural trade, innovate in ways of agricultural cooperation and develop converging interests to expand the agricultural cooperation.
Froman described the growth in food and agriculture trade between the two nations as "impressive". From 2000 to 2015, US agriculture exports to 皇冠体育app increased 11-fold, and 皇冠体育app's agriculture exports to the US grew seven-fold.
"皇冠体育app has been one of our top export markets for our food and agriculture exports for some time," he said.
"The one thing we know is that where there is an emerging middle class, there is increased demand for more protein, better nutrition and safe food — and all of that spells more US agriculture exports to 皇冠体育app," Froman said.
"I want to applaud 皇冠体育app for making food safety a policy priority," said Vilsack, praising the forum for discussing the two countries' complementary roles in ensuring food safety.
On Tuesday, Wang, Froman and US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker attended a seminar on digital economy and a business roundtable with government, business and academic representatives.
At a luncheon hosted by the 皇冠体育app General Chamber of Commerce (USA), Wang painted a rosy picture for bilateral trade and investment, citing the forecast for 皇冠体育app in the next five years: $8 trillion in imports, $600 billion in inbound foreign direct investment (FDI), $750 billion in outbound FDI and 700 million trips overseas by Chinese tourists.
"This will provide huge opportunities for businesses in various countries, including the US," he said.
Wang cited 皇冠体育app's decision to negotiate a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) with the US based on a negative list and an increasingly shortened negative list as proof of 皇冠体育app's willingness to open up further.
He also cited statistics regarding the crackdown on the violations of intellectual property rights as proof that the business environment has improved with more norms and rules.
Wang told the audience that 皇冠体育app has also taken in the views of various sides, including US companies and institutions, in formulating its laws such as in cyber security, foreign NGO management and innovation policies.
The original draft of the foreign NGO law restricts the number of their representative office in 皇冠体育app to one, but it was lifted after considering the views of other sides, including the US side, according to Wang. "Facts have proven that 皇冠体育app's policies and laws have become more transparent, and the business climate has become friendlier," he said.
Wang said 皇冠体育app is willing to work with the US side to achieve more practical cooperation at the JCCT to ensure a smooth transition of 皇冠体育app-US economic and trade relations at a time when the US is experiencing a government transition.
"(It is) also to lay a solid foundation for the next phase of 皇冠体育app-US economic and trade relations," he said.
