The 2026 China-California Economic and Trade Forum was held on May 12 in Los Angeles, California — the eighth edition since the forum's inception. It drew nearly 550 delegates from Chinese and American political, business and academic circles, who jointly called for revitalizing China-US local cooperation and strengthening practical cooperation between Chinese provinces and cities and California in trade and economic fields. Although the forum itself took place back in May, it was referenced again during conversations among Chinese and American guests at China's Los Angeles consulate's 77th National Day reception in late September and early October, cited as an important example of the continued vitality of China-US local economic and trade cooperation in recent years — the direct context for the forum's return to public attention recently.

This year's forum, themed "Enhancing Mutual Trust, Promoting Cooperation," held in-depth discussions across six main topics: trade and investment opportunities in free trade zones and ports, agri-food trade facilitation, outlook and cooperation in emerging industries, cross-border digital economy development, expo and tourism promotion, and exchanges among young entrepreneurs. Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng delivered remarks via video, calling California the "frontier of China-US local cooperation" and saying the China-California Economic and Trade Forum, built up over eight editions, has developed into a representative "flagship brand event" for local cooperation between the two countries. Xie also stressed that amid existing frictions and disagreements in the broader China-US relationship, practical cooperation at the local level can serve as a stabilizer and ballast, injecting more constructive and sustainable positive energy into the overall bilateral relationship.

A major highlight of this year's forum was the concrete cooperation outcomes reached between Chinese local governments and California. Both Hainan Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region signed multiple cooperation projects with California during the forum, covering areas including trade and investment promotion, industrial-park linkages, tourism promotion and cultural exchange. While public reporting did not fully detail every signed agreement, given that Hainan is a free trade port China is developing as a priority and Inner Mongolia is a key base for clean energy and resource industries, forum delegates were broadly optimistic about cooperation potential between the two regions and California in new energy, port logistics and tourism. The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products had earlier led a delegation to Los Angeles to further advance province-state economic and trade cooperation between China and the US in the same direction, seen as part of the broader set of activities connected to this year's forum.

Looking back at the forum's development, the platform was first initiated jointly by China's Los Angeles consulate and California local institutions, aiming to provide a standing, institutionalized dialogue channel for the increasingly close China-California economic and trade relationship. Over eight editions, the forum's agenda has expanded from an early focus on trade and investment promotion to more forward-looking areas such as the digital economy, emerging industries and youth entrepreneurship, while attendance has grown from a few dozen in the early years to nearly 550 today, reflecting the deepening willingness and engagement of both sides. Several scholars who have tracked the forum long-term told interviewers during breaks in this year's sessions that new trends in China-US technology cooperation — particularly in artificial intelligence and clean energy — have become frequently discussed topics over the past two editions, seen as evidence of the forum keeping pace with the cutting edge of industry development.

As a local cooperation platform now in its eighth edition, the China-California forum occupies a distinctive niche: rather than an official dialogue mechanism between the two countries' central governments, it is a specialized platform serving policy communication, information sharing and trade-investment promotion between Chinese provinces and cities and California, long providing entrepreneurs on both sides valuable opportunities for direct exchange, expanding business opportunities and seeking cooperation. As one of the most populous and largest-economy US states, California has long been among the most active destinations for Chinese investment and trade, with deep cooperation foundations with Chinese provinces and cities in new-energy vehicles, film and cultural industries, and agricultural trade. Observers say that even in years when the broader China-US relationship has faced friction and volatility, this kind of practical cooperation channel between California and Chinese local governments has largely continued to function — an important reason Chinese and American guests were willing to repeatedly bring up the forum at this year's National Day reception.

From a broader perspective, the continued holding of the China-California forum echoes the broader backdrop of recently warming China-US relations. Following President Xi Jinping's state visit to the US in September and the eight-point consensus reached by both sides, China and the US have continued sending positive signals on "ballast" issues such as local economic and trade cooperation, which some observers see as a concrete extension of the improved bilateral atmosphere into practical cooperation. Still, some analysts caution that while local-level cooperation is resilient, its room for growth cannot fully escape the influence of the broader bilateral relationship — should tensions resurface over core issues like tariffs or technology controls, the "stabilizer" role such local cooperation forums can play would face a real-world test. Either way, the success of the eighth forum and its renewed mention during the National Day season both offer some evidence of the continued vitality of China-US local exchange channels.

Looking ahead to the next edition, China's Los Angeles consulate and relevant California state government agencies have said they will continue supporting the forum's regular staging, with plans to draw in more of China's central and western provinces rather than just coastal economic powerhouses. Some participating entrepreneurs suggested the forum could in future drill down to concrete supply-chain matchmaking, such as offering more precise pairing services between small and midsize firms in California's EV supply chain and relevant Chinese component suppliers, upgrading the forum from an "exchange platform" into a "cooperation incubator." Whether that vision materializes will depend on the concrete outcomes of future editions.