On February 9, the 20th anniversary celebration of the U.S.-China Commercial Matchmaking Program (CMP) was successfully held in Beijing. The event was jointly organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce in an innovative format of a basketball match and networking reception. Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the CCPIT, and David Perdue, U.S. Ambassador to China, attended and addressed the networking reception. Li Xingqian, Vice Chairman of the CCPIT, presided over the event, with more than 250 representatives from the Chinese and U.S. business communities in attendance.

Ren noted that the 20th anniversary celebration of the CMP is both a specific move to implement the important consensus reached between the heads of state of China and the U.S. and a practical measure to enhance friendship and cooperation between the business communities of both sides. Over the past 20 years, the CMP has served more than 3,000 enterprises from China and the U.S., significantly boosting local and industrial cooperation between the two countries. The CCPIT will work together with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China, and other partners to continue the implementation of the CMP as always and elevate the cooperation between the Chinese and U.S. business communities to new heights.

During the networking reception, Ren Hongbin, David Perdue, and other guests presented awards to the “Best Team” and “Outstanding Team” in the basketball match. Li Xinqian commended five CMP offices, and heads of the Sichuan office and Dalian office shared their experiences and insights gained during the implementation of the CMP. Representatives from Optimize Integration Group and Harsco Rail shared their successful experiences in developing businesses and seeking partners through the CMP on behalf of the two Chinese and U.S. enterprises, respectively.

The CMP was launched by the CCPIT and the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce in 2005. Over the past two decades, the two sides have held over 100 economic and trade activities under the CMP, making it a landmark program for pragmatic cooperation between the Chinese and U.S. business communities.