People-to-people exchanges urged during Town Hall discussion

Tony Spitaleri, former mayor of Sunnyvale, California, talks to attendees after watching the live web coverage of China Town Hall presentation sponsored by National Committee on US-China Relations on Monday in the Silicon Valley. Just back from his fifth trip to China, Spitaleri said that more frequent exchanges with Chinese investors was a good thing. June Chang / CHINA DAILY

In the Bay Area, two groups — the China Silicon Valley and the World Affairs Council — sponsored simultaneous broadcasts of the live China Town Hall webcast, followed by discussions.

Victor Wang, founder and president of the non-profit organization China Silicon Valley (CSV), recently returned from an American mayors’ trip to China that kicked off on Sept 19 with stops in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Sichuan provinces.

“We feel the urgent need on both sides to carry out more two-way exchanges in technology and investment,” said Wang, adding that his organization’s mission was to promote investment and business communications between China and Silicon Valley, home to California's high-tech industry.

Starting in 2014, CSV has been sending US mayors to China with teams of entrepreneurs and scholars to visit Chinese cities and companies and meet their Chinese counterparts.

Harry Mavrogenes, director of the Stockton Metropolitan Northern San Joaquin Valley Regional Airport, applauded the people-to-people approach to establishing mutual trust with Chinese investors.

Also in the mayors’ delegation for project-seeking and relationship-building this September, Mavrogenes said his city is serious about launching fruitful cooperation with Chinese investors.

“We’ve signed an agreement with the airport authorities in Chengdu, Sichuan province,” Mavrogenes said. “We already touched upon the possibilities of opening a route between our two cities for cargo shipping first.”

Zha Liyou, deputy consul-general at the Consulate General in San Francisco, cited a recent report by Rhodium Group on Chinese commercial investment in the US that found that Chinese companies are now operating in 340 of the 435 US Congressional districts and employing more than 80,000 Americans. San Jose ranks 11th on the list of districts receiving direct investment from China and continues to attract Chinese investment and enterprises to the hub of Silicon Valley. "Although we've achieved so much, still together we can further tap much more potential," said Zha, who emphasized that closer state-province level and people-to-people exchanges in second- or third-tier cities will strengthen the bilateral relationship.

September’s trip to China was the fifth for Tony Spitaleri, former mayor of Sunnyvale, California. Spitaleri agreed that more frequent exchanges with Chinese investors will help better educate American society about the real China.

“The innovation, the technology boom in China and the sincerity of Chinese investors, as a whole, have impressed me deeply,” he said.