Greater US presence at CIIE shows interest in ties with China, says US ambassador

The participation of the official delegation and U.S. companies at the recent China International Export Expo (CIIE) shows “the United States’ interest in a more stable and productive relationship with China,” said U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns .

The country brought more than 200 companies and exhibitors, of which 17, led by the US government, co-established the US Food and Agriculture Pavilion.

“We believe it was very important for the United States to be present in Shanghai for economic reasons and reasons related to our desire to have a productive relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC),” Burns told Xinhua in a joint interview during the CIIE.

Describing bilateral trade as “expanding in very important areas throughout our economy,” Burns noted that China is now the United States’ third-largest trading partner. “Our economic and trade relationship is important with China,” he said, adding that bilateral trade in 2022 reached a record high since the 1970s.

“I would say the outlook has been really great, the curve is upward and trade is expanding,” he continued. “I think this also serves the diplomatic and political interests of the United States.”