Suppliers enthused about China ties

An increasing number of US businesses, including semiconductor company Nvidia, will participate in the upcoming China International Supply Chain Expo.

This indicates the willingness of global suppliers to connect with and integrate into China's extensive supply chain network despite Washington's rising protectionism, officials said on Tuesday.

"The number of US exhibitors at this year's expo has increased by 15 percent compared to the previous edition, cementing the US' position as the top source of international participants," said Li Xingqian, vice-chairman of the Beijing-headquartered China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

"The business communities in China and the US have maintained open lines of communications and have a shared desire to strengthen supply chain cooperation," Li added.

Nvidia, a maker of advanced AI chips, will make its first-ever appearance at the expo, which is scheduled to be held between July 16 and July 20 in Beijing.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said last month that Chinese companies are "very, very talented and very determined", and Washington's export controls "gave them the spirit, the energy and the government support to accelerate their development."

Over the past year, Washington's ban on the sale of advanced AI chips to China has compelled tech companies to pivot sharply toward domestic semiconductor designers like Huawei, while also spurring Beijing to invest heavily in developing a robust supply chain.

"We are willing to continue leveraging platforms like the expo to actively facilitate enhanced exchanges and deeper cooperation between the Chinese and US business communities," Li said.

Essentially, the China-US economic and trade relationship is founded on principles of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. Advancing this mutually beneficial collaboration aligns with the shared interests of businesses in both countries, as well as the global business community, Li said.

In particular, the expo is shifting its focus away from simply promoting product sales, and is instead prioritizing the facilitation of deeper collaboration within the supply chain ecosystem, said Yang Mi, director of the office of CCPIT.

"We've seen many exhibitors forge valuable partnerships at the past two expos," Yang said. "This year, we are working to make those connections even tighter and expand the pie of cooperation."

Around 650 domestic and overseas enterprises and organizations from 75 countries and regions are expected to participate in this year's expo.

More than 65 percent of the exhibitors are Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders. Overseas participants account for 35 percent of the total, with businesses from Europe and the United States making up half of the figure, said Yu Jianlong, who is also a vice-chairman at CCPIT.

"We also see increased participation from companies and organizations based in the Global South, with those from least-developed countries like Rwanda and Mozambique actively applying to exhibit," Yu added.

Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the expo serves as a crucial platform for global suppliers and vendors to connect with and integrate into China's extensive supply chain network, promoting greater inclusivity, strengthening resilience, and advancing sustainable growth.