2018年CRI Local governments in the U.S. look for Chinese investment

 

Communication between Chinese businesses and local governments in the United States has continued despite the trade tensions between the two sides.

Wang Wenli is the partner-in-Charge at the San Francisco and Walnut¹ Creek² offices of Moss³ Adams, an accounting⁴ and business consulting firm which helps Chinese clients invest in the United States.

She says the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, has become a bigger factor affecting Chinese investment.

"A client of mine, they announced the deal actually last October and they are still going through the process. It's taking much longer. Before mid-year 2017, people talk about CFIUS, but really the deals got denied, are very minimal⁵. And now it's becoming a regular concern," says Wang.

She made the comment on the sidelines of a forum⁶ in San Francisco called "Bridge from China 2018".

Among the attendees is David Kaufman, the director of Global Strategies at Nixon Peabody.

"Most of businesses are [done] locally. The federal government hasn't played a huge role in encouraging investment internationally anyways. Local government and local businesses and local institutions have to roll up their sleeves and get it done. And you have to create an environment where folks coming from overseas feel comfortable investing," says Kaufman.

One of the groups supporting the event is ChinaSF, an initiative formed under the San Francisco Center of Economic Development.

It has recruited more than 96 Chinese companies over the past decade, creating nearly 800 jobs and attracting more than 5.1 billion U.S. dollars of foreign direct investment from China.

"I think we are very unique, the fact that we have such a close relationship with the city. Because we are outside the city, we can explain things, talk about things in ways that organizations and particularly businesses will understand. Whereas many times as a city official, it's really hard to explain things that a business, especially a foreign business can understand," says ChinaSF's Executive Director Darlene Chiu Byrant.

Michael Lee, the president of the Research and Institute of China Railway Signal and Communication, China's largest train technology supplier, is seeking opportunities at the forum to boost the development of California's rail technology.

"The current U.S.- China tensions definitely are having an impact on the people, on our potential customers, how they think about doing business with China. However, I feel confident we do bring a lot of advantages," says Lee.

There are already new subways trains designed and manufactured by a Chinese firm ready to operate in the United States.

The new trains are part of a contract between Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation.

Under the contract, the Rolling Stock Corporation will design and manufacture more than 400 cars for two subway lines in Boston, at a price of one billion U.S. dollars.

1 walnut   

n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色

参考例句：

• Walnut is a local specialty here.核桃是此地的土特产。
• The stool comes in several sizes in walnut or mahogany.凳子有几种尺寸，材质分胡桃木和红木两种。

2 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

3 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

4 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

5 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

6 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。