Chinese Consul General in Chicago Wang Baodong Gives a Q&A Interview to South Dakota Public Broadcasting

On Sept. 4, Consul General Wang Baodong gave a written interview to Mr. Dircks, a political and business reporter from South Dakota Public Broadcasting, introducing the important outcomes of the China-U.S. presidential summit in Beijing and outlining China's policy stance on strengthening China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation, particularly in agricultural trade. The full text of the interview is as follows:

What are some of the ways South Dakota and China can grow trade together? Are there specific untapped markets both parties can work on together to grow?

As we know, South Dakota is an important agricultural state and a major exporter of American agricultural products, with strong competitive advantages in agriculture, food processing, and manufacturing. According to data from the U.S.-China Business Council, South Dakota's goods exports to China totaled approximately $844 million in 2024, accounting for 22% of the state's total global goods exports. Of this amount, about $690 million came from oilseeds and grains, $66 million from meat products, and $30 million from medical equipment and supplies.

Looking ahead, the two sides can further leverage their respective industrial strengths and complementary advantages to expand trade in areas such as soybeans, corn, beef, dairy products, machinery and equipment, and medical devices, while deepening exchanges and cooperation in agricultural technology and healthcare. South Dakota could promote closer business matchmaking and industry-to-industry collaboration by organizing trade and economic delegations to visit China and participating in the China International Import Expo (CIIE), held annually in Shanghai in early November. These efforts will also help showcase the state's high-quality agricultural and food products, manufactured goods, and medical products, actively expand its presence in the Chinese market, and explore new markets and business opportunities, thereby further enhance the quality and efficiency of the overall bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Was there a particular interest in Dakotafest that drew the delegation to South Dakota? Are there measurable outcomes you'd like to see from this visit, or was this a relationship building visit to South Dakota?

The primary purpose of our visit to South Dakota is to work with people from all sectors of the state to explore ways to implement the important common consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and President Trump at their summit in Beijing in May this year, help promote the building of a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields. During the visit, we had the opportunity to participate in the Dakotafest, visit a family farm, exchange views with elected officials, and meet with various associations representing soybean, wheat, pork, dairy, and other agricultural sectors. Through these activities, we gained a much deeper understanding of South Dakota's highly developed agricultural sector and its high-quality agricultural products, and our confidence is further strengthened in deepening mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation between China and South Dakota. Taking this opportunity, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the South Dakota Trade for its warm hospitality and thoughtful arrangements.

I believe that both sides can focus on advancing cooperation across three dimensions in the coming years: First, continuing to expand trade in traditional bulk agricultural products; Second, tapping into the potential of high-value specialty agricultural products; Third, jointly committing to fostering a stable, fair, and predictable trade environment.

What are markets that both sides can strengthen that exist today?

South Dakota is not only a major agricultural state, but also a destination renowned for its beautiful landscapes and abundant tourism resources. China and South Dakota can further unlock the potential for cooperation in areas with an existing foundation, such as agriculture and tourism.

In agriculture, building on efforts to expand trade in products such as soybeans, corn, beef, and pork, the two sides can extend cooperation along the agricultural value chain into areas such as agricultural technology, precision agriculture, food processing, further processing of agricultural products, warehousing and logistics, and market access and distribution channels. This would help upgrade cooperation from trade in individual products to broader value-chain collaboration.

In tourism, the two sides can strengthen tourism promotion targeting the Chinese market by leveraging South Dakota's distinctive attractions, including Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, and Custer State Park. Both sides can also enhance tourism services in areas such as travel itineraries, hotels and dining, transportation, cultural experiences, and digital marketing to increase South Dakota's appeal to Chinese tourists.

How does national trade policy impact the ability for China to work with states and state industries in South Dakota?

For many years, soybeans and other agricultural products have served as a vital bond in China-U.S. agricultural cooperation, while trade in agricultural products has long been a cornerstone of the broader economic and trade relationship between our two countries. China has the largest consumer market for agricultural products in the world, while the U.S. boasts world-leading agricultural production capacity. High-quality U.S. agricultural products meet the strong demand of the Chinese market, while the vast Chinese market generates income and employment for American farmers and rural communities.

Our two countries used to enjoy "good old days" in agricultural cooperation. According to General Administration of Customs of China statistics, China's imports of agricultural products from the U.S. reached a record $40.9 billion in 2022. Among this, soybean imports accounted for $17.8 billion-nearly half of the total-marking a historical peak. Even by USDA data, despite showing slightly lower figures, both total agricultural and soybean exports to China hit record highs that year.

Regrettably, those "good old days" came to an abrupt halt last year. As the U.S. initiated tariff and trade wars against China, China was forced to take countermeasures. Bilateral soybean trade grounded to a temporary halt, leaving American farmers as victims-an outcome China never wished to see. Fortunately, the heads-of-state meetings in Busan and Beijing recalibrated the direction of bilateral relations, bringing a key turning point that allowed soybean trade to recover. This experience proves that unilateralism and protectionism benefit no one, tariff and trade wars have no winners, and equality, respect, and mutual benefit represent the right way for our two countries to get along and conduct business.

What barriers exist to future trade with China? (This can be on either South Dakota/US's end, or the reverse)

In my view, current China-U.S. trade faces three major barriers.

First, the U.S. side has misconceptions about China, which is a fundamental issue affecting China-U.S. relations and economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. In particular, some anti-China forces portray China as an adversary or even an enemy, misleading the public and obstructing cooperation between our two countries deliberately. The U.S. side should develop an objective and correct understanding of China.

Second, the U.S. side has imposed unwarranted tariffs on Chinese imports, seriously undermining normal bilateral trade. While tariff levels have been lowered to some extent, they remain high overall and continue to create significant uncertainty for businesses. The U.S. side should remove these unreasonable tariffs as soon as possible.

Third, the U.S. side has overextended the concept of national security and imposed restrictive and discriminatory measures on Chinese companies seeking to engage in normal investment and technology cooperation in the U.S. These measures have seriously constrained the ability of our two countries to expand mutually beneficial cooperation. The U.S. side should abandon this misguided approach.

President Xi Jinping has emphasized on many occasions that China is willing to be a partner and a friend of the U.S. Both sides should maintain close contacts and exchanges and continue to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. He also emphasized that realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation and "Making America Great Again" can fully reinforce each other. President Trump has also stated that China is the largest partner of the U.S., and that by working together, our two countries can accomplish many great things for the world. In my view, the most pressing task now for our two sides is to work together to translate the important consensus reached by the two Presidents into concrete actions, expand the cooperation list, shorten the negative list, and create a stable, fair, and predictable business environment for enterprises from both countries, so as to bring greater benefits to the people of China and the U.S.

Can states like South Dakota who trade major products, like soybeans, maintain economic relationships with China even when Washington D.C. and Beijing disagree over policy?

At present, the major challenge facing China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation is that certain forces in the U.S. push for "decoupling and severing supply chains", while continuously broadening the scope of national security concerns and imposing discriminatory and restrictive measures against China. This is having an increasingly serious negative impact on mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries.

In May this year, our economic and trade teams reached positive consensus on addressing non-tariff barriers and market access issues for certain agricultural products, agreeing in principle to include relevant products under a reciprocal tariff-reduction framework and setting guidance targets for expanding two-way agricultural trade. South Dakota's capacity for a stable supply of high-quality agricultural products aligns closely with the massive demand of the Chinese market. Our two sides should adhere to open cooperation, firmly say "no" to political manipulation and "decoupling and severing supply chains," and jointly foster a fair, transparent, and predictable policy environment. It is hoped that people of vision from all sectors of South Dakota, especially those in the business community, agricultural organizations, and trade associations, will continue to serve as a bridge and a link between our two countries and make even greater contributions to strengthening China-U.S. economic and trade relations. It is also hoped that they will encourage more American friends to visit China and gain a better understanding of the country, thereby further strengthening the foundation of public support for China-U.S. friendship. Let us work hand in hand to write a new chapter of win-win cooperation between our two countries.

What were some of the delegation's takeaways from the Congressional roundtable at Dakotafest?

It's my first time to visit the Dakotafest. During the Congressional roundtable, some legislators from the U.S. Congress and local farmers present expressed their appreciation for the importance of the Chinese market. Their enthusiasm for strengthening agricultural trade cooperation with China left a deep impression on me and my colleagues. The consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago covers 11 U.S. Mid-west states. We look forward to strengthening ties and enhancing consultation with friends from all walks of life in these states including South Dakota, to jointly offer ideas and efforts to expanding exchanges and collaboration between our two countries in various fields, and cooperatively contribute to the further growth of the constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.