The new US Ambassador to China Max Baucus highlighted the importance of the economic and commercial relationship between the US and China at a welcome luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in the People’s Republic of China (AmCham China), the US-China Business Council, and the United States Information Technology Office. During his address, the ambassador touched on cybersecurity, business opportunities in environmental protection, and his dream for the future of relations between the US and China.

“My dream is to see a China that continues to have a healthy, durable relationship with the United States, one that is bigger than any single issue,” Baucus told some 250 guests from the three organizations. “It’s to see the United States and China able to work together on any problem no matter how large or small, to build a better world for Americans, Chinese and everybody.”

Baucus told of his support for China’s membership of the World Trade Organization in 2001, and his desire to see the work continue in negotiating a bilateral investment treaty between the US and China. He also promised during the upcoming US-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue to press for “the things that matter most to the business community, that is: removing investment restrictions; improving IPR protection; increasing transparency, especially in regulatory proceedings; and creating a level playing field for all companies in China.”

To warm applause, he told the assembled business leaders: “I promise you this: The US business community in China has no greater friend than Max Baucus.”

More than 170 AmCham China members attended the luncheon, held to welcome the 11 th US Ambassador to China and show appreciation for the US government’s support of the American business community in China.

AmCham China Chairman Greg Gilligan, in introductory remarks, drew attention to the impact of economic reform on US companies in China. “It’s so critical right now that we have a leader such as Ambassador Baucus to help us to drive forward so that we can achieve the many things that are already in China’s economic reform plan,” he said. “How these stated reforms are implemented is critical to the success of American business in China. So we are very grateful to the ambassador’s attention to these areas.”

It was Baucus’ first major public speech on US-China relations since he arrived in Beijing mid-March.