This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations. Given recent volatile trade relations, businesses on both sides of the Pacific are against protectionism, and hope to continue to enjoy the prosperity brought by bilateral relation. 

The U.S. is still China's biggest trading partner while the bilateral trade volume has grown more than 230 times to more than 630 billion U.S. dollars over the past four decades.  

Max Baucus, former U.S. Ambassador to China, claimed that protectionism would reduce the quality life of both Americans and Chinese. 

"Because the more we protect, the more we will see tariffs and taxes on Americans. American consumers and businesses have to pay more. And the similar situation will happen in China. So it is not good," Baucus explained. 

Jeff Moseley, CEO of Texas Association of Business, also expressed his concerns: "There is no doubt that the trade relationship between U.S. and China has benefited both countries. We have to have a win-win document. Both parties have to make sure that's beneficial."  

He said that "once we can pass some of the concerns, then we will find what the mutually beneficial are, then the future is very bright. We know for 40 years how the trade relationship has benefited economies. So the fact is very clear. If we choose whatever the reasons to move to protectionism, when we decide to go back to not have such open market place, I think everybody will get hurt by that." 

While the global economy might see more headwinds in the future, American companies in China are still looking for deeper cooperation and bullish on a brighter bilateral future.  

SAIC General Motors Corporation (SAIC-GM) is one of the biggest China-U.S. joint ventures (JVs) in Shanghai. The two partners first started their business 22 years ago, and now have 13 factories in four major regions of the country. The joint venture has introduced a variety of vehicles into the Chinese market, from affordable family cars to luxury brands.  

Last year, the JV opened a new Cadillac House in Shanghai's Pudong District, the first of its kind outside the United States. Marc Comeau, vice president at SAIC-GM, described that facility as "an extension of the relationship and partnership that we are trying to develop with our customers." 

Coca-Cola has also been a witness to the development of China-U.S. relations. The company was the first U.S. firm to enter the Chinese market, and set up its own plant in Beijing in 1982. Now the company has more than 40 factories across the country, with one of its biggest bottling plants located in Shanghai.

"Our business started out where it was really a very small business. And now it's our third largest business in the world, soon to be, one day, the second largest business in the world. As China becomes more of a consumer-centric country, you can see huge expansion," according to Curtis Ferguson, president at Greater China and Korea for Coca-Cola. 

Stephen White, chair of Real Estate and Construction Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in the People's Republic of China (AmCham) Shanghai, remains optimistic about the flourishing future of China-U.S. cooperation. 

"I believe there is a very bright future. And we all hope that the current economic environment between China and the U.S. will improve and blossom in the next few years, given the changes that are taking place with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump's conversations," White said. 

"We look forward to that being a successful outcome, which I'm sure it will," he addressed, adding that "it's a matter of how we can develop different industries and widen the scope. And I think this is what Mr. Xi wants to do, [it] is to open up China and Shanghai and develop and interact more with foreign companies and countries, and that's very exciting for everybody."