Tourism serves as bridge for advancement of US-China exchanges: WTA vice chairman

Tourism plays a crucial role in fostering mutual understanding and cooperation between China and the United States, said the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) vice chairman while attending the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit.

Nearly 200 participants attended the event held in Xi'an City in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Wednesday, including government officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce, representatives from local tourism authorities, and executives from leading travel agencies. The forum reconvened after a five-year hiatus since the last edition, following the positive momentum established during U.S. Secretary of State Blinken's visit to China in April.

Adam Burke, president of the Los Angeles Tourism Convention Board, also the vice chairman of the WTA, discussed achievements of the summit and ties between China and the U.S. in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).

By promoting cultural exchange and economic collaboration, tourism is helping both nations move forward together despite broader tensions in other fields, Burke said.

"Despite some of the challenges politically between the U.S. and China, tourism has always been the bridge. The people-to-people and cultural exchanges has been a way to find common ground, going all the way back to the 1970s with the Nixon administration. The second thing is to really understand, what are the pain points. What are the things that may be inhibiting recovery both ways? I think that's one of the reasons why these types of dialogues are so important," he said.

Burke also expounded upon the latest trends in the tourism industry, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There's been a shift in consumer sentiment. I think this was a foundational change because of the pandemic. If you look back prior to the pandemic, travel was often viewed as a discretionary purchase. What we've seen around the world is that most consumers have moved it out of the discretionary category into an essential purchase. So, I think it's not about travel intent. I think, first of all, we're hard-wired to want to explore the world around us. One of the things I found fascinating, there were actually psychological studies done that showed that not being able to travel is actually creating depression, and even thinking about planning a trip elevated mood. So there's something really, deeply embedded in our humanity about the need to travel," said the WTA vice chairman.

Noting that WTA member organizations help address poverty alleviation, sustainability and climate change, Burke Burke underscored the power of tourism to empower communities.

The summit also saw the announcement of three groups of China-U.S. tourism partner cities, along with the achievements of a series of agreements in city-to-city cooperation, trade, and cultural exchanges. Burke emphasized the importance of these developments by noting the special relationship between Los Angeles and Guangzhou that was built 43 years ago, marking one of the first sister-city relationships between major cities of China and the United States not long after the two countries established diplomatic ties.

"I think the biggest thing is recognized that for over 60 years, Los Angeles and Guangzhou have had a sister city relationship. Chinese Americans first settled in Los Angeles in the 1850s. We're talking about two centuries worth of history between our peoples. Part of the reason I'm so optimistic about the future is we've been through challenging times before, but it's through the power of tourism and these types of conversations and dialogue that we always find a common path forward," he said.

Tourism serves as bridge for advancement of US-China exchanges: WTA vice chairman

Tourism serves as bridge for advancement of US-China exchanges: WTA vice chairman

Global automakers are coming together at Auto China 2026, also known as the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, not only to showcase new products, but also to help shape the industry's future.

With the theme of "Future of Intelligence," Auto China 2026 showcases intelligent vehicles, including electric models granted road approval for "hands-off, eyes-off" Level 3 driving.

This year's show features a record-breaking total exhibition area of 380,000 square meters, making it the world's largest auto show by exhibition area.

A total of 1,451 vehicles, including 181 debut models and 71 concept cars, are being showcased at the ongoing event.

Car enthusiasts from around the world are converging at the show, sharing their impressions of the show and China's auto market.

"I'm a big fan of cars and this is the biggest motor show in the world. So I have to be here," said a visitor named Jan.

"I come from a country, Argentina, where Chinese cars have gone from being two to three percent of the market to being over 10 percent of the market in the span of two years. So it's very important to know what's going on," said Lucas Abriata, who works as a journalist.

"I'm used to combustion cars. I love the smell. I love the sound. I love the feeling. But electric cars are very cool too," said Ludmila Duarte, a Brazilian content creator.

Beyond enthusiastic fans and media, industry professionals are equally invigorated by the show.

Uliana, a localization specialist at Great Wall Motor (GWM), a Chinese automaker, expressed amazement at the technologies and innovations on display.

"I'm overwhelmed with how many technologies there are, and how many new concepts and innovative fields that are presented here," she said.

Francois Marion, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer of Valeo, a major French automotive parts supplier, highlighted the importance of the Chinese market and the company's strong commitment to it.

"We believe the China market is a very good opportunity for us. We see growth coming back in the second semester for us in China and we have the opportunity to sell so many great technologies in China with our Chinese customers - 63 percent of our orders last year were with Chinese OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). We are here because we are super committed to China as a market," said Marion.

Kevin Clark, Chair and CEO of American automotive technology supplier Aptiv, explained the necessity of continuous localization to stay relevant in the automotive market.

"We've always been here for the China market. Obviously, this is the largest market. It's the fastest growing from a technology standpoint. To be relevant, you need to continue to increasingly localize our engineering capabilities, our supply chains. And that's just something that we keep doing to be resilient and to be relevant in the market," said Clark.

As global players deepen their presence in China, Chinese innovation is simultaneously expanding onto the world stage.

Shifting from technology adopters to solution providers, Chinese smart driving companies are emerging as a new force within the industry.

Chinese self-driving technology company QCraft, shaped by China's complex and demanding road conditions, is now extending its reach into markets such as Europe and the Middle East.

Yu Qian, Co-founder and CEO of QCraft, shared his perspective on connecting China's innovation with the world.

"It's truly encouraging to see that so many new technologies and products are first deployed right here in the Chinese market. We've certainly benefited from this, growing and thriving as a result. At the same time, we're eager to build stronger bridges between China and the rest of the world," said Yu.

The 10-day event is scheduled to run until May 3.

Global automakers drive collaboration at Auto China 2026