Vice Governor Zhao Feng,

Vice Chairman Tang Yi,

Dear Guests and Friends,

It is a great pleasure to join you at the 2026 China–California Business Forum. California has long been a frontier in American history. It is also at the frontier of subnational cooperation between China and the United States. In 2013, with the attention and support of President Xi Jinping, the China Provinces and US California Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment Cooperation was established. It was the first working group of its kind between China and the United States. Since 2016, the China–California Business Forum has been successfully held seven times under this framework. It has become a signature platform for local cooperation between our two countries.

Despite a fluid external environment, the Chinese economy has made a strong start this year, advancing toward higher-quality growth, building new momentum, and delivering a first-quarter performance with many bright spots. At China’s annual “Two Sessions” this March, we adopted the 15th Five-Year Plan, laying out the strategic blueprint for Chinese modernization over the next five years. More and more people have come to see that a China with stable policies, dynamic growth and greater openness is not only an anchor of stability for the global economy, but also a window of opportunity for all parties to share in China’s development dividends. California, as the most populous and largest state economy in the United States — and the world’s fourth-largest “economy” in its own right — is a natural partner for China. Our strengths are highly complementary. Under the new circumstances, I would like to offer four suggestions for our economic and trade cooperation.

First, we should focus on people’s well-being and deliver real benefits to our peoples. China is home to the world’s largest middle-income group — over 400 million strong today and expected to reach 800 million by 2035. Over the next five years, China will continue to put our people first and invest in its people. We will improve public services, expand quality social support across the full life cycle, unlock domestic demand, and promote all-round development of our people. California is a powerhouse in agriculture, logistics, trade, investment, tourism and high technology. It has long been home to the largest number of Chinese companies, students and tourists in the United States. Last year, California’s trade with China approached 90 billion U.S. dollars, leading all U.S. states. Two out of every five containers moving between China and the United States passed through Californian ports. We should better connect our strengths, keep supply chains and logistics networks stable and smooth, and bring more quality goods and services to people on both sides of the Pacific.

Second, we should embrace green growth and advance sustainable development. China has built the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, as well as the most complete new-energy industrial chain. Over the next five years, China will continue to prioritize green development. We will advance carbon reduction, pollution control, green expansion and growth in a coordinated way, moving toward carbon peak in an active yet steady way. That will enable China to make new contributions to global climate and environmental governance. California is a leader in America’s clean-energy transition and an active player in global green cooperation. It was recently approved as the world’s first subnational member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. China and California can deepen cooperation in clean energy, green materials, carbon capture, utilization and storage. We can also expand green finance cooperation in green bonds, climate funds and carbon markets. Together, we can help build a cleaner, more beautiful and more sustainable world.

Third, we should uphold openness and become partners with a global vision. This year, the China Development Forum and Zhongguancun Forum embraced guests from around the world. The Consumer Expo and Canton Fair drew thousands of businesses. The Beijing auto show captured global attention. The Hainan Free Trade Port delivered strong results in its first 100 days of independent customs operations. The Inner Mongolia Free Trade Zone was officially launched. In the first quarter, newly established foreign-invested enterprises in China grew by 11 percent year on year. Over the next five years, China will steadily advance institutional opening-up, expand access in services, further open up pilot sectors such as value-added telecommunications, biotechnology and wholly foreign-owned hospitals, promote balanced trade, and expand two-way investment. Through high-standard opening-up, China will share new opportunities with the world. We welcome California to continue moving forward with China, and to write more win-win stories — rooted in China, benefiting both countries, and serving the wider world.

Fourth, we should unleash innovation and become pioneers of the future. China now ranks among the world’s top ten most innovative economies, with “AI plus” fast empowering industries across the board. With a complete industrial system, a deep talent pool and vast application scenarios, China has built a unique innovation ecosystem. Over the next five years, China will integrate technological and industrial innovation, foster new quality productive forces, cultivate emerging industries, and plan for future industries. That will add fresh momentum to global innovation. Innovation cannot thrive behind closed doors. Decoupling, disruption, blockade and containment won’t stop its momentum. California, including Silicon Valley, brings together world-class talent and frontier technologies. China and California can join forces in many fields, from information technology and artificial intelligence to embodied intelligence, biomedicine, the low-altitude economy and new energy storage. Together, we can turn more bold ideas into real products, leaping from “zero to one”, and then from “one to many”. When we reach for the stars and seas, we are helping advance the progress of humanity.

Dear Friends,

The more turbulent the world becomes, the more important China–U.S. relations are. A stable, sound and sustainable China–U.S. relationship is the shared wish of our two peoples and the aspiration of the international community. It was here, in California, that President Xi Jinping pointed out that China and the United States cannot turn their backs on each other; that it is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other; and that conflict and confrontation would bring consequences neither side can bear. Mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation should be the direction of our joint efforts. This year is an important year for China–U.S. relations. The agenda for high-level interactions has already been set in motion. We hope California will continue to draw on its openness and pioneering spirit, and contribute to finding the right way for China and the United States to get along in the new era — with mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

I wish the 2026 China–California Business Forum every success.

Thank you.