On July 26, 2024, on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US, in order to further implement the consensus reached by the Presidents of China and the US at the San Francisco Meeting on promoting people-to-people exchanges, the Shanghai Public Relations Association, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and the Shanghai Institute of American Studies jointly organized the "A Shared Vision, A Shared Future: The River Dialogue between Shanghai and New York (hereinafter referred to as the "River Dialogue") was held at the Jinjiang Auditorium in Shanghai, where the 1972 U.S.-China Joint Communique was signed. Annabel RONG, Deputy Director of International Project Department of the Global Investment Council (GIC), was invited to attend the event.As economic and financial hubs of their respective countries, Shanghai and New York both owe their prominence to their waterways. The Huangpu River nurtured Shanghai, while the Hudson River is celebrated as New York’s "Mother River." These rivers have endowed both cities with broad perspectives and profound heritage, driving development in various fields including economy, finance, trade, shipping, technology innovation, and cultural tourism.
As the Global Investment Council (GIC), which originated as a professional platform for Sino-US investment and trade cooperation promotion, we gathered together with representatives of relevant states and business associations of the US in China to jointly support this meaningful event.Annabel RONG (second from right) with representatives of partial US states, chambers of commerce and institutes in ChinaWe have not only witnessed the progresses in various fields of the two countries on economic and trade cooperation, such as: "Cooperation between the US and China is essential," said Sean Stein, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. At the same time, Shanghai and New York, two cities that are not capital cities, have enormous cultural and economic influence. Both cities play an important role in connecting with the outside world and are closely linked to the US and China.Mr. ZHENG Yi, President of AmCHam, gave an emotional review of the establishment, interruption, and continuation of the AmCHAM Shanghai in Shanghai, as well as the common expectations and prospects expressed by American companies in China; He noted that despite the current geopolitical conflicts, the Third Plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in Beijing has also emphasized the theme of opening up, and will adhere to the market-oriented, legalized and nationalized development line. As AmChAM Shanghai celebrates its 110th anniversary next year, we all have a bright future ahead of us.ZHU Min, Director of Shanghai Commission of Commerce, objectively analyzed and evaluated the economic and trade exchanges between Shanghai and New York, and between Shanghai and the US in these years with detailed data. "Pessimistic statements are easily echoed," he said. "Positive actions will usher in a better future."We also experienced inspiring shares from experts in cultural exchange, such as renowned pianist KONG Xiangdong’s captivating statement: “As long as there are humans, there will be conflicts; medicine saves lives, and music saves souls. Looking forward to progress together and finding joy in our shared experiences!”Given the rich agenda of the event, which included three panel discussions, we learned about Shanghai’s scholars and experts’ exchanges and learning experiences with New York, showcasing the historical and contemporary evolution of their respective cities as beautiful and livable places. For example, the shared and differing design philosophies of the Hudson River in New York and the Huangpu River in Shanghai, as well as the unique thoughts and advanced concepts of the riverside lighting projects described by WANG Guofeng, Chief Engineer of the Landscape Institute at the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Research Institute. Seeing the beauty of today’s riverside boulevards will surely evoke a greater sense of gratitude in each of us.Mr. XU Bu, Senior Advisory Member of the United Nations Secretary-General, Academic Committee Member of the Shanghai Institute of American Studies, and Chairman of the Global Development and Security Research Institute at Jiangsu University, delivered the closing remarks. He highlighted that New York and Shanghai are highly representative cities of the U.S. and China, respectively, characterized by diversity, innovation, and vitality. These cities symbolize the state of China-U.S. relations. He believes that the “River Dialogues between Shanghai and New York” will effectively promote understanding and build mutual trust between the two countries.More than 200 business elites, experts and scholars from China and the US attended the event.