Strengthening cooperation between the United States and China is the key to achieving win-win outcomes - Tan Sen, Chairman of the China National Committee on Trade and Industry during his visit to the United States
American CEOs are full of enthusiasm for China. ”Tan Sen, President of the US China Business Council, recently gave an exclusive interview to Xinhua News Agency reporters during the 2026 annual meeting of the China Development Forum, and immediately expressed the concern of the US business community for the Chinese market.
The China Development Forum held every spring is the best footnote. About one-third of the nearly 100 multinational companies attending this year are from the United States, setting a new high in recent years.
Where does China's attractiveness come from? Tan Sen spoke eloquently about several "transformations".
If we look at ten years ago, everything revolved around the 'Chinese market'. At that time, multinational companies chose China because there were billions of consumers here. In Tan Sen's view, the situation is completely different now.
If we used to care about the 'Chinese market', now we are increasingly valuing the 'Chinese platform', "Tan Sen said. The Chinese market is still important, but currently American companies are more focused on joint research projects, enhancing supply chain resilience, or leveraging Chinese technology and partners to win global competitive advantages.
What does the transformation of China's role from "world factory" to "global innovation laboratory" mean for the world?
Tan Sen frankly stated that this will bring more opportunities to multinational corporations. More and more American companies are studying China's innovation and considering how to deepen industrial and supply chain cooperation, in order to enhance competitiveness not only in China but also globally.
If the above changes focus on corporate strategy, then Tan Sen's observation of China's five-year plan reveals a deeper logical shift.
Tan Sen recalled, "I remember the first time I studied China's five-year plan was in 2006. At that time, I was in the United States and it was difficult to obtain information, so I couldn't download it directly from the internet." "I needed to take a taxi to the Chinese embassy and bring back a hard copy of the material to read. My Chinese was also not good, so I had to use a dictionary to look it up word by word, and it took me a long time to read it through. I think many companies at that time didn't understand how important the five-year plan was
Since then, Tan Sen has studied every five-year plan in China. He told reporters that more and more American companies are realizing that the five-year plan is not only important for China, but also crucial for business development. Multinational corporations need to understand China's policy orientation and economic trends.
He used the river as a metaphor to explain that entrepreneurs understand that success will be much easier if they follow the "river direction" guided by the five-year plan. Therefore, everyone is striving to think about how to ride the wave in the Chinese market.
The economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States is a focus of international attention. When it comes to the expectations of the American business community, Tan Sen said that strengthening cooperation between the United States and China can achieve win-win results. "We believe that both sides need better and more effective communication.
In Tan Sen's view, how to make the two major economies of the United States and China cooperate in a way that benefits everyone is what everyone expects.
In addition to economic and trade cooperation, Tan Sen also pays attention to the development of Chinese industries. China's progress in the field of new energy vehicles is extraordinary, which is a revelation for global enterprises. Adhering to existing technology is not enough, and we must constantly seek ways to improve
During the interview, Tan Sen shared his personal experience of experiencing new energy vehicles in China. I have driven several Chinese electric cars before, and it's really difficult for me to choose one because many of them are excellent. I hope they can be seen in a wider range
Having visited China multiple times, Tan Sen's footprints have spread throughout many cities in China. This time, he plans to stay in China for a few more weeks.
Whether it's American policy makers, multinational CEOs, or ordinary people, we hope more people come to China to see. If you haven't been to China in five or ten years and your impression of this place is still stuck in the past, you won't be able to keep up with the times. Only through personal experience can we keep up with the times. ”Tan Sen said.