American companies yielded about US$80 billion in sales revenue in China's domestic market last year, with the combined profit climbing to US$10 billion.

 

By the end of 2006, the United States had built 50,000 enterprises on the Chinese mainland with actual investments exceeding US$54 billion.

 

Development of Sino-US trade is beneficial to both sides and US companies have earned a fair return from investment in China, said Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng at a press conference held in Beijing on Thursday.

 

According to a survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham-China), 73 percent of US-funded companies believed they earned profits, 60 percent of them saw their profits increasing, and 37 percent say the profits in China are higher than their average global profits.

 

A quarter of all KFC chain stores are located in China and the fast-food giant has set up about 1,800 stores in the country. US consumers also benefit from Sino-US trade as they saved more than US$ 600 billion by buying products made in China in the last 10 years, said Gao.

 

Research by the US-China Business Council shows bilateral trade cooperation is expected to add US$ 1,000 to the disposable income of each US family by 2010.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 24, 2007)