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CGCC Holds Promotional Conference for 112th China Import and Export Fair
August 8, 2012 -- The Promotion Conference for the 112th China Import and Export Fair (also known as the "Canton Fair”) was held on August 14th at the Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle and attracted about 200 attendees, including New York area business people and delegates from China’s Ministry of Commerce. The conference was organized by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York’s Economic and Commercial Office and the China Foreign Trade Center (CFTC), with assistance from the China General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC). Representatives from the host organizations used the conference to share information about the 112th session of the Canton Fair as well as new policies for U.S.-China trade.With over 50 years of history, the Canton Fair is China’s largest trade fair and hopes to serve as a platform for American small and medium enterprises to expand their business. Mr. Xu Bing, deputy director of CFTC, stated that while the main goal of the Canton Fair is to expand commodity trade, the organizers are constantly adding to the fair to stay abreast of current trends in trade and better serve attendees’ needs and interests. One example of this is the increased consideration organizers are giving to the services trade. Organizers of the conference emphasized that the Canton Fair is not solely for Chinese businesses looking to export their goods; in reality, many Chinese participants are interested in finding goods and technologies to import for their own businesses.CGCC President Mr. Yuan Ning gave a brief speech at the conference encouraging the continued growth of U.S.-China trade. Also in attendance were Carmela Mammas, of the Department of Commerce, Ms. Ann Li, of the NYC Economic Development Corp, and Mr. Mark Jaffe, of the Greater NY Chamber of Commerce.
President Yuan Ning's Speech:
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,I am honored to be here today among such distinguished guests and participants. First, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to Mr. Xu Bing, Deputy Director General of the China Foreign Trade Center, and the delegation travelling with him from China, as well as Ms. Carmela Mammas, from the Department of Commerce, Ms. Ann Li, from the NYC Economic Development Corp, and Mr. Mark Jaffe, from the Greater NY Chamber of Commerce. To our friends at the China Foreign Trade Center, thank you for having me today.The China General Chamber of Commerce – U.S.A., or the “CGCC” is pleased to be the co-organizer of today’s conference on the Canton Fair. The CGCC is always delighted to be involved in events which promote U.S.-China business such as the one we have today because, at its base, that is what CGCC was founded to do. Even though we were established only in 2005, we have quickly become the largest overseas chamber of commerce for Chinese businesses, and we are responsible for representing over a thousand Chinese businesses active in the United States, ranging from the large state-owned enterprises, to private, joint-venture, and joint-stock companies. In addition to these regular members, we also have as our associate members a number of large prestigious American enterprises who are highly involved in business with Chinese companies.As a non-profit, non-governmental organization, the CGCC serves as a bridge and linkage between all parties in order to promote the development of Sino-American economic and trade relationships. Last November, we successfully held the inaugural session of our Annual Conference, the first of many to come. Many the high-level friends in U.S.-China relations attended the conference, which provided a platform for Chinese enterprises within the U.S. to share their experiences and exchange ideas. The conference and other events like it are proof of our commitment to create an ongoing dialogue about the experiences and needs of Chinese enterprises developing their business in the U.S. Our mission is to assist Chinese companies registered in the United States by protecting the rights and interests of our member Chinese businesses, help Chinese and American companies better coordinate and cooperate in their activities in accordance to trade policies, and to present a platform to all American companies wishing to do business with Chinese enterprises.
The CGCC operates out of all its six branches in the major commercial centers of New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and we have six professional committees in covering the areas of Finance, Trading, Communication, Energy and the Automotive industry. 30 of our members are Fortune 500 companies, and all American subsidiaries of the state-owned Chinese enterprises are our members. While many Chinese enterprises have already begun to make their mark in America, U.S.-China businesses have even greater potential and room for growth. According to statistics provided by the Heritage Foundation, Chinese non-bond investment overseas increased by 937 percent since 2006. Yet, only 9 percent of that increase in Chinese investment was to the United States, while Chinese investments to the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America accounted for over 50 percent. In years to come, Sino-American business can certainly become 15, or 25 percent with increased cooperation and stable economic and trade development.
Just take the example of Canton Fair, the subject of today’s Promotional Seminar. The sheer numbers testify why it is considered “China’s Number One Trade Fair.” Over 24,000 exhibitors participated in the last session of the fair in an exhibition space of 1.16 million square meters, attracting almost 210,000 overseas buyers. But I will let Mr. Xu Bing introduce the fair in more detail when he speaks later.
Ladies and gentlemen, CGCC will continue to work hard to promote the positive Sino-American business relationships we have thus far enjoyed. In the meantime, I hope you find today’s seminar enjoyable and informative.
Thank you.