The AmCham delegation was cordially received by Chinese officials, who emphasized the importance of Hong Kong and its international character, while listening to the members of the delegation, who emphasized how important the “two systems” framework is for Hong Kong for its positioning and for its international businesses. 

With regard to the Chinese economy, the officials acknowledged the difficulties but seemed confident they would gradually overcome them. On US-China trade and bilateral relations, they were also confident in the face of restrictive US measures, although they acknowledged the many challenges. They expressed hope for progress with the Board of Trade and Board of Investment which were agreed to in May when US President Donald Trump visited China. Finally, they looked forward to the upcoming late September visit to Washington, DC of Chinese President Xi Jinping, although expectations were not high for the outcomes. In general, the officials were cautious about US-China relations, hopeful about Hong Kong, and appreciated the role of our members in Hong Kong’s economic development.  

The Chinese officials included the Deputy Director of the HK & Macao Affairs Office, a Deputy Director of the State Council’s Development Research Center, the Deputy Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Director General of the Department of the Foreign Capital and Overseas Investment Division of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Deputy Director-General of the International Department of the China Securities and Regulatory Commission, the Deputy Director-General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce, and the Director-General of HK and Macao & Taiwan Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

In addition, the delegation hosted a dinner for the Chairman of AmCham China and a few of his board members.  There was a meeting with the heads of the Economic, Commercial, Treasury, and US Trade Representative offices at the American Embassy in Beijing.

It was very useful to get the on-the-ground views of Americans living and working in Beijing. The delegation also sensed that with the temporary stability of the bilateral relationship since the May summit, they were also slightly more optimistic about business opportunities in China.

All in all, it was a packed 48 hours in Beijing, learning the latest thinking in Beijing and conveying the concerns of our members.