Page 4 - The South China Business Journal
P. 4
ITOR’s Note
Dr. Harley Seyedin AmCham South China would like to extend a warm welcome to the new US
President Ambassador to the Peoples’ Republic of China Terry Branstad. Ambassador
AmCham South China Branstad and his family arrived to their new home over the summer but this is not
Vice Chairman the first time he has traveled to China. As you will find out in this month’s cover
U.S. China Economic and Trade story, the former governor of Iowa has known China President Xi Jinping for over
Policy, APCAC 30 years. Then Governor Branstad took the future president of China on a tour of
several cornfields during his first term. They’ve been in contact ever since, perhaps
2 AmCham South China creating the most important international personal relationship in the world. Am-
bassador Branstad brings with him decades of knowledge concerning both agricul-
ture and business. According to the U.S.-China Business Council, Iowa exported
$2.3 billion in goods and $273 million in services to China last year. Branstad served
22 nonconsecutive years as governor of the Hawkeye State, earning several records
along the way. About a year ago he achieved the record for the longest-serving gov-
ernor in US history. He also has the distinction of being both the youngest and the
oldest person to serve in that office. His departure opened the door to Iowa’s first
female governor, Kim Reynolds. She previously served as Lt. Governor.
The Senate confirmed Branstad on May 22, 2017 in an 82-13 vote. In an address to
his new staff in Beijing, Ambassador Branstad said that that relationship between
China and America is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. His
goals are to work on continued mutual cooperation, to address some of the big chal-
lenges, and improve economic opportunities in both of our countries. It seems as if
he may of the same goals as AmCham South China, and we wish him best of luck in
his new position.
It has been a very busy time at the Chamber since I last wrote to you in this col-
umn. We sent our first delegation to China-ASEAN Expo, a four-day event held at
the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center in Nanning, China.
CAEXPO offered exhibitions, seminars, briefing conference, and many other func-
tions while focusing on China’s imports and opening the market to ASEAN. This is
an important function that provides an effective bridge for ASEAN products to enter
the Chinese market. It was a great learning experience for all of us, and more than
a few excellent business opportunities for our members. We also sent our fifteenth
delegation to the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), a
four-day event held at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center
(XICEC). CIFIT is currently China’s only international investment promotion event
aimed at facilitating bilateral investment. It’s also the largest global investment
event approved by UFI—The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. CIFIT
not only comprehensively showcases the investment environments, policies, proj-
ects and corporate products in all provinces, autonomous regions and municipali-
ties in China, but it also attracts investment promotion agencies from more than 40
countries and regions.
And finally, I would also like to give a special shout-out to our staff. Not only did
they do an amazing job jugging all of these activities, they also found time to totally
redesign our South China Business Journal. You are going to find brighter graphics,
more exciting pictures, and eleven new columns designed to bring you closer to the
action we call AmCham South China.
Dr. Harley Seyedin AmCham South China would like to extend a warm welcome to the new US
President Ambassador to the Peoples’ Republic of China Terry Branstad. Ambassador
AmCham South China Branstad and his family arrived to their new home over the summer but this is not
Vice Chairman the first time he has traveled to China. As you will find out in this month’s cover
U.S. China Economic and Trade story, the former governor of Iowa has known China President Xi Jinping for over
Policy, APCAC 30 years. Then Governor Branstad took the future president of China on a tour of
several cornfields during his first term. They’ve been in contact ever since, perhaps
2 AmCham South China creating the most important international personal relationship in the world. Am-
bassador Branstad brings with him decades of knowledge concerning both agricul-
ture and business. According to the U.S.-China Business Council, Iowa exported
$2.3 billion in goods and $273 million in services to China last year. Branstad served
22 nonconsecutive years as governor of the Hawkeye State, earning several records
along the way. About a year ago he achieved the record for the longest-serving gov-
ernor in US history. He also has the distinction of being both the youngest and the
oldest person to serve in that office. His departure opened the door to Iowa’s first
female governor, Kim Reynolds. She previously served as Lt. Governor.
The Senate confirmed Branstad on May 22, 2017 in an 82-13 vote. In an address to
his new staff in Beijing, Ambassador Branstad said that that relationship between
China and America is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. His
goals are to work on continued mutual cooperation, to address some of the big chal-
lenges, and improve economic opportunities in both of our countries. It seems as if
he may of the same goals as AmCham South China, and we wish him best of luck in
his new position.
It has been a very busy time at the Chamber since I last wrote to you in this col-
umn. We sent our first delegation to China-ASEAN Expo, a four-day event held at
the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center in Nanning, China.
CAEXPO offered exhibitions, seminars, briefing conference, and many other func-
tions while focusing on China’s imports and opening the market to ASEAN. This is
an important function that provides an effective bridge for ASEAN products to enter
the Chinese market. It was a great learning experience for all of us, and more than
a few excellent business opportunities for our members. We also sent our fifteenth
delegation to the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), a
four-day event held at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center
(XICEC). CIFIT is currently China’s only international investment promotion event
aimed at facilitating bilateral investment. It’s also the largest global investment
event approved by UFI—The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. CIFIT
not only comprehensively showcases the investment environments, policies, proj-
ects and corporate products in all provinces, autonomous regions and municipali-
ties in China, but it also attracts investment promotion agencies from more than 40
countries and regions.
And finally, I would also like to give a special shout-out to our staff. Not only did
they do an amazing job jugging all of these activities, they also found time to totally
redesign our South China Business Journal. You are going to find brighter graphics,
more exciting pictures, and eleven new columns designed to bring you closer to the
action we call AmCham South China.
