Economic cooperation emphasized by Chinese, US businessmen in Houston

Bilateral economic cooperation between the United States and China was emphasized by officials and businessmen at a business gathering on Friday in Houston.

File photo of Chinese and U.S. national flags. [Photo: AP]

More than 280 officials and business executives of both Chinese and American companies attended the second annual gala and award ceremony of the China General Chamber of Commerce-Houston (CGCC-Houston).

Delivering a speech, Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin said undoubtedly an open and prosperous China is important to Sino-U.S. relations.

He hoped the business community in Houston "will continue to play an active and positive role in the China-U.S. relations, tell the true stories of China-U.S. win-win cooperation, and safeguard the important foundation for the smooth development of bilateral relations."

Efrain Gonzalez, associate director of minority business development agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, said at the gathering that the minority business development agency is committed to providing unmatched business development assistance to U.S. minority businesses.

"We are seeking strategic partners such as CGCC to collaborate support for minority businesses," said Gonzalez.

"Since 2015, we have acquired 81 members, and CGCC-Houston has now become the commercial service organization for Chinese and U.S. companies in Houston and eight other states in the southern U.S.," said Li Shaolin, chairman of CGCC-Houston and president of PetroChina America, Inc.

At the gala, Air China won the Outstanding Member Award.

Founded in 2005, CGCC has been recognized as the largest and most influential non-profit organization representing Chinese enterprises in the United States.

CGCC is headquartered in New York and has six branches in the United States, including the one in Houston which held its first such gala in December last year.