Small Iowa farm showcases strong China-US economic ties

Grant Kimberley(R), son of Kimberley Farm owner, introduces crop planting and agricultural techniques used by his farm in Des Moines, Iowa, the United States, June 11, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]

"China-US relations are not only about the government-level exchanges, but more importantly lie in the exchanges between people from both countries. The close people-to-people exchanges could further contribute to the development of bilateral relations," said Zhao Qizheng, former director of China's State Council Information Office, after he visited the Kimberleys' farm.

It's the first time for Chinese think tank researchers to hold a direct talks with American farmers, said Wei Jianguo, China's former vice minister of commerce, who also took the tour at the Kimberleys' farm.

"I'm very impressed by American farmers' strong emphasis on the importance of stable bilateral economic relationship," said Wei.

In 2016, bilateral trade between China and the United States reached over $524 billion, surging over 200 times over the past 38 years since China and the United States established diplomatic relations in 1979. US exports to China supported over 1.8 million jobs in the United States in 2015.

According to a report released by the US-China Business Council, the US-China trade relationship actually supports roughly 2.6 million jobs in the United States across a range of industries, including jobs that Chinese companies have created in America.

As the Chinese economy transits into the modern age, there is ample reason to believe US exports can grow even more rapidly, and US firms can harvest significant revenues from their investments, said the report.