At the 110th-anniversary celebration held by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, the organizers had hoped to call for clearer policy guidance for American companies in China. However, officials from the United States and China engaged in a direct confrontation at the event, reflecting the ongoing tense trade relationship between the two countries.
First, the event invited U.S. Consul General in Shanghai, Scott Walker, to speak. Walker stated that the lack of balance and reciprocity in the U.S.-China economic and trade relationship has been going on for a long time.
“We hope the Chinese government will stop discriminatory practices and retaliatory measures against American businesses in China,” he said.
Following him was Chen Jing, director of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Director of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of Foreign Affairs Office. He said, “I believe the Consul General’s remarks are biased, unfounded, and inconsistent with the spirit of the phone call between the two leaders last night.”
This showdown highlights the fact that the U.S.-China relationship is still in a highly tense phase.
U.S. President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a phone call on Thursday to discuss the ongoing trade tensions of the past few weeks and export restrictions on rare earth resources. Both sides agreed to continue working towards the agreement reached in Geneva earlier.
On May 12, the two countries reached an agreement to temporarily suspend the implementation of some tariffs within 90 days, but deeper structural issues remain unresolved. The U.S. has recently accused China of violating the agreement.
Eric Zheng, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, told the media during the event that many companies have suspended business decisions due to the uncertain policy environment.
He emphasized, “We hope that both governments will provide some policy certainty so that businesses can plan accordingly.”
Zheng pointed out that companies currently “urgently need clearer and enduring statements from both China and the U.S. to boost market confidence.”
(Based on a report by Reuters)