A U.S. business community leader has emphasized that American companies increasingly recognize the need to build up cooperation with China, underscoring the vital importance of working out differences between the two sides at the government level.
In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Sean Stein, president of the U.S.-China Business Council, highlighted that numerous U.S. companies have been drawn to the Chinese market over the past two decades by its supply chain dynamics, research initiatives, and opportunities for extensive partnerships.
"What's happened over the last twenty years is the Chinese market has matured, and so now companies are here for that. But now they're also here for supply chain. They're also here because they're doing research here. They're also here because they've got deep partnerships with Chinese companies that aren't just here but also around the globe. And even in certain sectors, say life science, it used to be American companies would license molecules and drugs to Chinese companies. Now, it's going in both directions. So what I would say is companies are here for a lot of reasons. And the fact that we have so many companies here really demonstrates just how important this cooperation is. And so the companies really hope that the two governments can work out their differences in a way that leads to benefits to people everywhere, on both sides of the Pacific, but also around the world," he said.
According to Stein, the U.S.-China Business Council's primary role revolves around making sure that American companies and government officials have a firm grasp on what is actually happening in China.
"We talk daily with people in the administration, with our companies, with members of congress, with everyone. And that's what our role is often right now. On the one hand, it's trying to make sure that myths about China, myths about China business or things that for people who haven't been here in five or 10 years may not understand about China. Because if you're going to have a successful policy that's targeting China or that's affecting China, but you don't have a fundamental understanding of what are the realities of China today, that's a policy that's not going to be successful. So whether you agree with the goals or you disagree with whatever, it's irrelevant. It's not going to work if you don't understand. And so that's our most important mission right now, is to help members of congress administration understand what the current state of China is and China's development and all that," said the business leader.
The business leader acknowledged that the process of engaging with Congress and the administration to foster a better understanding of the state of U.S. industry and business will require considerable time and effort, as changes in both the U.S. and China require companies to quickly grasp policy impacts.
"The other thing that is really important is so many changes on the U.S. side, so many changes on the China side, companies have got this critical need to understand what does it mean and what does it mean for them. And they need to know now. So we've got a lot of resources that are sort of analyzed the impact of Chinese policies or Chinese countermeasures or Chinese policy or looking at the speech which we just saw from the premiere here at CDF (China Development Forum 2025). It's really important for us to digest that and get it out to our members very quickly so they understand. And similarly, on the U.S. side, we perform a similar role. That is looking at new regulations and talking with regulators to make sure that companies understand what the policy is. And so I think that's the second thing that we're doing that's really important. We're educating government, but we're also educating companies to make sure they understand," he said.
The China Development Forum (CDF), the first major international conference after China's Two Sessions this year, was held in Beijing on Sunday and Monday, attracting the wide attendance of international organizations as well as CEOs from over 80 multinational giants including Apple, BMW AG and AstraZeneca.
A total of 86 senior representatives from 21 countries attended, underscoring China's enduring appeal as a hub for investment and technological collaboration.
U.S.-China Business Council head emphasizes crucial role of cooperation amid tensions
