Mitchell Stanley, chairman of the U.S. National Center for Sustainable Development (NCSD), receives an interview with Xinhua in Houston, the United States, on May 16, 2019. The United States and China should facilitate the collaboration of small businesses from both countries for sustainable economic development, Stanley told Xinhua at the fourth U.S.-China Innovation and Investment Summit in Houston. The fourth U.S.-China Innovation and Investment Summit kicked off Thursday in Houston, bringing a new wave of technology and innovation investment to the city. (Xinhua/Liu Liwei)
HOUSTON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China should facilitate the collaboration of small businesses from both countries for sustainable economic development, a U.S. business leader has said.
Small and medium-sized businesses "are all elements of an economy that not only can weather any crisis but also can grow dramatically in terms of jobs, opportunity for people and economic benefit for all," U.S. National Center for Sustainable Development (NCSD) Chairman Mitchell Stanley told Xinhua Thursday at the fourth U.S.-China Innovation and Investment Summit in Houston, U.S. state of Texas.
Stanley underscored the importance of U.S.-China economic relations despite the current trade friction.
"The economic relations between the United States and China, despite their current difficulty, are the most fundamentally important ones to the United States for now and for our future of our children and grandchildren," he noted.
In order to facilitate the energy business of the two countries, the NCSD signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Chinese companies. The MoUs were signed between the NCSD and China Hainan Dayang International Energy Group Co. Ltd. and Zhuhai Dayang International Exchange Group respectively.
The memorandums aim to help establish an international energy exchange platform for U.S. and Chinese small energy companies to do business together.
Stanley said establishing this platform allows U.S. small businesses to sell their products in the global market.
"What we needed always is to get a middle market, a small business global trade platform," he said. "This case allows individual exporters with individual products to go and sell their products into a global marketplace and get paid for it through this platform."
Gong Jialong, CEO of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Energy Exchange Co. Ltd., said China-U.S. cooperation in energy has great potential.
"China is the world's largest energy consumer and U.S. is one of the largest producers," he said. "Around 60 to 70 percent of energy producers in the U.S. are small businesses. We aim to connect the American small business with the Chinese market."
Jointly hosted by China Science and Technology Exchange Center and U.S.-China Innovation Alliance, the two-day summit that kicked off Thursday attracts around 300 participants from China and the United States, including entrepreneurs and investors, to meet face-to-face in Houston.
The meeting not only enables Chinese entrepreneurs to learn about the development of science and technology in the United States, but also showcases the advantages of different cities in China, providing new opportunities for international investment and cooperation.
The meeting covers four areas in science, health and technological innovations, including advanced manufacturing, biopharmaceutics and digital health & diagnosis, information and communication technology, as well as energy.