Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, delivers a speech during the 2025 China-California Business Forum in Los Angeles, California, the United States, June 2, 2025. (Photo by Qiu Chen/Xinhua)

by Julia Pierrepont III, Gao Shan

LOS ANGELES, June 3 (Xinhua) -- "Trade relations between California and China are really important for us," noted Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, during the 2025 China-California Business Forum on Monday.

The forum drew nearly 500 entrepreneurs and officials from China and the U.S. state of California to promote deeper economic, trade and cultural exchanges.

"China is a big trading partner," said Wunderman, adding that the council has been heavily involved in promoting Bay Area and California economic relations with China for almost a generation.

Business leaders from Southern California echoed Wunderman during the forum.

Maria S. Salinas, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that the forum "comes at a pivotal moment in the U.S.-China relationship, as we navigate trade, uncertainty and complexity."

"California's longstanding relationship with Chinese provinces and cities has yielded significant outcomes," said Salinas, affirming China as a strong economic force and the third-largest goods export market in Los Angeles.

Stephen Cheung, president and CEO of Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and president of World Trade Center Los Angeles, also upholds Los Angeles' cordial relationship with China that has been driven by "shared investments, innovation and mutual desire to see our communities thrive."

"Los Angeles has always been a gateway for international commerce, and the partnership between China and California continues to be one of our most valuable global relationships," he added.

Amid the forum discussions, the U.S. disruptive tariffs were a prevailing topic among American business owners.

Michael Tiberi, owner of Deep Light, a California-based UV lighting company, told Xinhua that the tariffs nearly crippled his company.

"The tariffs are a nightmare for American businesses. My company buys just one part from China that isn't even available from U.S. companies. When the tariffs hit, to save our business, we had to ship that part into the U.S. through our European partners," Tiberi said, acknowledging that it would be a much more expensive option.

Facing significant disruption as the Trump administration's tariff policies have created ripple effects across global markets, the California business community voiced its support for maintaining healthy relations with China -- one of California's largest trading partners.

Bob Weiss, former president of Walt Disney Imagineering, is in a unique position to articulate the value of U.S.-China collaboration, having spearheaded the hugely successful Shanghai Disneyland.

"To build Disney Shanghai, we needed to put together a united team of talented U.S. and Chinese experts," Weiss told Xinhua. "Architects, engineers, computer geniuses, artists of all kinds. We had to set up a true and equal collaboration where we respected each other, united with each other," added Weiss, noting that the Shanghai Disneyland was a huge success due to the collaboration of people from very different cultures who joined hands together for one united goal.

Dan Thorman, co-executive director at the Collidescope Foundation, the founder of a climate education event called the Los Angeles Climate Week, said the forum is very important because "we can talk about what we do for each other's countries, like the discussion about the green corridor for shipping, the discussion about how we do better farming practices, and how we make lower emissions."

In April, California became the first state to sue the Trump administration over tariffs, noting that "these tariffs have disrupted supply chains, inflated costs for the state and Californians, and inflicted billions in damages on California's economy, the fifth largest in the world."

"It (tariffs) just makes us feel more committed to going forward (with China)," insisted Wunderman. "This is a much better world when China and the United States are working together." ■

Maria S. Salinas, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, delivers a speech during the 2025 China-California Business Forum in Los Angeles, California, the United States, June 2, 2025. (Photo by Qiu Chen/Xinhua)