Li Qiang (R), Party secretary of Shanghai, meets with Craig Allen, president of the United States-China Business Council, in Shanghai on Aug 21. [Photo/WeChat account: shanghaifabu]

A delegation from the United States-China Business Council, visited Shanghai on Aug 21, led by its president Craig Allen. 

Li Qiang, Party secretary of Shanghai, met with the delegates and said that the city will keep optimizing its business environment for the development of all the foreign-invested companies who have bases in Shanghai.

Li stated that Shanghai, China's largest economic center, will continue to embark on reform and opening up, and explained the reasoning behind the city's release of 100 new measures to further expand its opening up in July, saying it is to promote the common development of Chinese and foreign companies. 

Li also invited US companies to attend the China International Import Expo, set to take place in Shanghai in November, to display their quality products and to strengthen US-China economic and trade cooperation.

Li also expected the council to help maintain steady economic relations between the two countries by serving as a bridge between US-funded companies and the government.

Craig Allen thanked the local government for its support and spoke highly of the city's thriving business environment and services for foreign companies. 

He vowed to continue to encourage US companies to increase investments in Shanghai and China and for them to participate in the import expo.

Leaders of US-funded companies in Shanghai including Dow Chemical, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Emerson also attended the meeting, and summarized their current development and future plans in Shanghai.

The United States-China Business Council is a non-governmental business organization founded in 1973. It now has around 220 US-funded companies in China as its members.

Delegates from the United States-China Business Council attend a meeting to exchange ideas with Shanghai officials on Aug 21. [Photo/WeChat account: shanghaifabu]