The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai) marked its 110th anniversary with a gala in Shanghai on Friday, celebrating over a century of U.S.-China business engagement.
Founded only three years after the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AmCham Shanghai has been playing a key role in linking the world's two largest economies, despite the ups and downs in the history of China-U.S. relations.
Around 300 guests attended the anniversary gala, hoping to foster commerce, dialogue and mutual understanding between the two countries.
"AmCham was founded back in 1915 by 45 businesspeople from the United States who were working in Shanghai. And right now, we have more than 1,000 companies here in Shanghai, members of AmCham, and we have more than 3,000 individual members," said Jeffrey Lehman, chair of AmCham Shanghai.
Shanghai, a favored investment hub for international enterprises, has been uniquely positioned to help strengthen China-U.S. trade and economic ties.
From Coca-Cola, AIG, and Ford to 3M, Disney, and Tesla, these American brands have been gaining success in China.
"According to the statistics published by the U.S.-China Business Council last year, over 90 percent of U.S. companies in China are profitable. The annual output of the Tesla factory in Shanghai was about one million units in recent years," said Chen Jing, president of the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, while addressing the anniversary gala.
For both Chinese and U.S. businesses, Thursday's phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump sent positive signals.
"I think all of us were happy to learn about the phone call. We're looking forward to November 5th, to the CIIE, back in Shanghai. And we expect to have continued increases in participation by American companies and hopefully by lots of vendors," said Lehman.
AmCham Shanghai marks 110 years of US-China commerce, cooperation
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
