Shanghai, China - Sept 11, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Sean Stein, president of U.S.-China Business Council, speaking at interview
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Stein, president, U.S.-China Business Council (starting with shot 1):
"It's really important to set the record straight. American companies are going for optionality. They're not leaving China. China is really important. They may be investing in other markets, but they're still here. And so, it's important to understand that, but it's also important for American policymakers to realize that American companies are here for the long haul. They're not talking about how do we decouple, they're talking about how do we better integrate our China operations globally in most cases. And so, it's really important that people understand that."
3. Stein speaking at interview
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Stein, president, U.S.-China Business Council:
"If you're going to compete in China, you have to bring your best. But bringing your best technology to China means investment. And sometimes it means big investment. So, if you want to stay in the China market, you bring your best technology and you invest. In other cases, you've got companies that have been long-term suppliers to Chinese industry. But as China's exports boom and as China's economy grows and expands, then you have a choice. I can either not invest and start losing some of my China markets, or I can invest and grow along with the Chinese economy and that means building up scale. So, we're seeing investment into sectors, and we're seeing investments for technology, and we're seeing investments in scale."

FILE: Shanghai, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Aerial shot of industrial park
6. Aerial shot of Tesla plant
7. Various of production lines, automobile parts assembly lines

FILE: Tianjin Municipality, north China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Aerial shots of Tianjin Port

FILE: Qingdao City, Shandong Province, east China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Aerial shots of ships at port

U.S. businesses remain deeply committed to the Chinese market and are not pursuing "decoupling," said Sean Stein, president of the U.S.-China Business Council, dismissing talk that American firms are abandoning the Chinese market.

In a recent interview with China Media Group in Beijing, Stein said American companies are in China for the long haul, even as they diversify beyond it.

"It's really important to set the record straight. American companies are going for optionality. They're not leaving China. China is really important. They may be investing in other markets, but they're still here. And so, it's important to understand that, but it's also important for American policymakers to realize that American companies are here for the long haul. They're not talking about how do we decouple, they're talking about how do we better integrate our China operations globally in most cases. And so, it's really important that people understand that," he said.

Stein said the case for staying invested in China is rooted in the nature of the market itself, with U.S. firms never asking whether to engage with China, but how to do so effectively and profitably over the long term.

"If you're going to compete in China, you have to bring your best. But bringing your best technology to China means investment. And sometimes it means big investment. So, if you want to stay in the China market, you bring your best technology and you invest. In other cases, you've got companies that have been long-term suppliers to Chinese industry. But as China's exports boom and as China's economy grows and expands, then you have a choice. I can either not invest and start losing some of my China markets, or I can invest and grow along with the Chinese economy and that means building up scale. So, we're seeing investment into sectors, and we're seeing investments for technology, and we're seeing investments in scale," he said.