NEW YORK — US and Chinese businesspeople have expressed hopes that China-US trade relations will move forward in a direction that will benefit both sides.

On the sidelines of the 15th Anniversary and Lunar New Year Gala of the China General Chamber of Commerce-USA, many told Xinhua they expected that more sound and stable bilateral trade relations will bring more development opportunities.

As we all know, both countries benefit from this relationship to a very large extent, as does frankly, the rest of the world

Michael Roberts, President and chief executive of HSBC USA

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Bob Holden, chairman and chief executive of the United States Heartland China Association, said the two countries are in a challenging situation, but the stage will pass.

Mitch Heaton, vice-president of Dayton Development Coalition, an Ohio-based economic advocacy organization, said progress on the economic and trade negotiations between the two countries creates many opportunities for Dayton city.

Michael Roberts, president and chief executive of HSBC USA, said the United States and China, as the world's two largest economies, are extremely intertwined.

"As we all know, both countries benefit from this relationship to a very large extent, as does frankly, the rest of the world," Roberts said at the gala.

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Liu Ming Chung, deputy chairman and chief executive officer of the Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited in China, said he hopes that the economic and trade relations between the two countries will improve.

The company plans to make larger investment in the United States in the future and will launch technology transformation and expansion, he said, adding that the business he is doing there is expected to get better.