USCBC President Craig Allen Remarks on the 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner in Beijing

USCBC’s 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner in Beijing

Gala Remarks – As Prepared

Craig Allen, President, US-China Business Council

Welcome and thank you for joining us this evening.

The US-China bilateral relationship is without any doubt the most important bilateral relationship in the world. This will remain true for the rest of our lifetimes. 

Due to the importance of the bilateral relationship on a global scale, there is little reason to doubt that there will be many ups and downs in the diplomacy between our two countries. We appreciate the inherent complexity and dynamic tension between our two governments. 

But, within this complex political framework, companies—such as the Chinese businesses served by CCPIT and the American members of USCBC—provide a continuous stream of benefit, value, jobs, and opportunities for the people of both countries.  

Since 1783, when the American clipper ship “the Empress of China” first initiated direct trade between New York and Guangdong, our nations’ trade and investment have provided a cornucopia of good for both countries. 

Businesses are pragmatic, always looking for opportunities for growth and to quantify risk. It is that pragmatic motivation that drives Chinese companies to trade and invest in the United States and American companies to trade and invest in China. 

And in a fragile world, it is this commerce that serves as the bedrock of global peace and stability. 

And let us remember that the benefits of trade and investment are not guaranteed. Rather, they are an aggregation of an enormous amount of effort: transaction by transaction, deal by deal, shipment by shipment, investment by investment, partnership by partnership. 

As every company in this room knows very well, competition in international trade is relentless. Growing your business in a foreign land is extremely hard work and it requires eternal effort, focused attention, optimism, confidence, strength, and an unlimited reservoir of goodwill. 

It is for this reason that I am so proud to lead the US-China Business Council at this challenging time, knowing that the combined efforts and business relationships of our 270 companies, and our Chinese counterparts, are contributing to the continued peaceful evolution of US-China bilateral relations. 

Whether we recognize it or not, the US-China Business Council and, more importantly, USCBC’s members—in addition to Chinese investors in the United States—are the bedrock foundation of the bilateral relationship and our contributions to the continued peaceful development of those relations is fundamental. That bedrock is strong and solid. 

The companies and organizations represented in the room this evening exemplify the best of what our relationship can be. Each and everyone in this room has made contributions that should be recognized.

We are proud to have helped to shape the most important bilateral relationship in the world for the last 50 years. 

Yet, we are even more proud to have the opportunity to continue to shape and improve the most important bilateral relationship in the world for the next 50 years. Thank you very much!

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