China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Silicon Valley, China talk business
The second anniversary celebration for a Silicon Valley organization turned out to be a reunion for elected officials and business leaders who have visited China as a group in the past two years and seek more cooperation across national borders.
China Silicon Valley (CSV), a non-profit corporation established in June 2013, states its mission is to promote investment and business communications between China and the valley, home to California’s high-tech industry.
CSV’s approach is to work with city governments to drive increased investment and job growth by matching talent, technology and business exchange.
One of the star programs, according to CSV founder and President Victor Wang, is the Silicon Valley mayors’ China trip, in which delegations of mayors, entrepreneurs and scholars from Silicon Valley visit Chinese cities and companies.
CSV sent two such delegations to China already – the first in 2014 with 14 mayors and five business leaders and the second in late spring with four mayors plus 12 entrepreneurs and scholars, mainly to Hebei province.
Wang announced that CSV will kick off its third trip on Sept 19 with stops in Beijing, Shanghai, and Jiangsu and Sichuan provinces.
“It’s amazing to know that in this part of the United States (in San Jose), we have developed such a dynamic relationship with China,” said Zha Liyou, deputy consul general with the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco, who is in charge of the economic, political and trade relationship between China and Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Nevada.
Zha cited a recent report by Rhodium Group in partnership with the National Committee on US-China Relations on Chinese commercial investment in the US that Chinese companies are now operating in 340 of 435 US congressional districts and employing more than 80,000 Americans.
San Jose ranks 11th on the list of US congressional district recipients of Chinese direct investment. It is still attracting 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.
Wang said CSV intends to provide “one-stop service” for government relations, legal and tax consultancy and networking for China and the Silicon Valley.
“There is a talent and resources pool in the valley and an extensive network of business partners from diversified industries that we can really cash in on,” he said.
... Together we can further tap much more potential.”
Zha Liyou, deputy consul general with the Chinese Consulate General
Wang said his delegation brings many projects back to China, some from the cities and some from the San Jose local entrepreneurs.
“We don’t want to put on a political show using gimmicks of Silicon Valley and mayors; we really want to generate concrete results and benefit all involved parties and individuals,” said the veteran entrepreneur.
Tony Spitaleri, former mayor of Sunnyvale, California, called his China trip “exciting, intensive and fantastic”. He said he is looking forward to the one in the fall, which will be his fifth.
“Anyone who wants to explore more business opportunities, I strongly encourage you to go to China,” he said.
“Each and every one of us today in this room has a bigger role to play,” Zha said. “When it comes to a healthier and stronger bilateral relationship, it involves not only the US federal government or the Chinese central government, but all of us.”