Veteran China Business Leader Expresses Cautious Optimism for U.S.-China Relations in 2026
James Zimmerman, the returning chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China), is surprisingly hopeful about the year ahead for U.S.-China business relations, despite a decade of escalating tensions. Zimmerman, who is serving his fifth term leading the influential business group, believes 2026 could mark a pivotal shift toward renewed dialogue and engagement.
He argues that after ten years of "experimenting with competition" and calls for decoupling, a new approach is needed. "Has that worked? Not really," Zimmerman said in an interview. "So it’s now time to go back and... get us back on track to have ongoing dialogues, ongoing engagement."
A key event shaping this optimism is the anticipated visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to China in April. Zimmerman hopes AmCham can play a role in the visit, which he believes could yield important agreements or memorandums of understanding. "We’re hopeful that the signals will come out positive," he said. "Any level of confidence that can be received from those meetings is very important to the business community."
Contrary to narratives of a mass exodus, Zimmerman observes that U.S. companies are not decoupling from China but evolving their strategies. "For many sectors, China continues to be a critical market and an essential part of the global supply chain," he noted, describing diversification as a "healthy strategy" rather than a wholesale retreat.
His agenda for 2026 includes advocating for practical improvements, such as stronger intellectual property protection—an issue he notes is crucial for Chinese companies as well—and dialing down the reflexive use of national security arguments that can stifle business. He also emphasizes the importance of rebuilding people-to-people exchanges post-pandemic to ensure U.S. headquarters maintain a clear understanding of the China market.
Zimmerman concluded with a call for visionary leadership, hoping President Trump will "seek to move the relationship forward in a way that mutually benefits both the United States and China, its companies, consumers, workers and farmers."
