With phase one of the China-U.S. economic and trade agreement nearly complete, some U.S. companies are pressing ahead with their business plans in China.

The world is still waiting for China and the U.S. to ink their initial trade deal, which was reached last Friday after many rounds of trade negotiations between the two sides. But American companies have already decided to pour more investment into their ventures in China. 

Read more: China, U.S. agree on text of phase one trade deal

Melaleuca, a leading U.S. wellness company, just broke ground for its new Chinese headquarters in Shanghai on Monday.

Jerry Felton, president of Melaleuca International, said, "As we continue to grow, our needs for capacity are increasing. So we decided to invest an additional 150 million U.S. dollars. We are building in China for China, and the more we build for China within the walls of China, the greater is the opportunity to expand our business."

The company said China has become its largest market outside the United States. And the improved business environment along with growing demand from Chinese consumers have further boosted their engagement.

Whether it's an imported product or a domestically manufactured global brand, Chinese consumers are diversifying their daily consumption. Many American companies say they have long-term confidence and strategies in the Chinese market despite the China-U.S. trade friction.

Delta Air Lines is one of several major American carriers operating in China. Although the current trade spat has impacted some of its routes – at least in the short term – it is still bringing new aircraft into operation and upgrading services, signaling confidence for the future.

Wong Hong, president of Greater China and Singapore region of Delta Air Lines, said, "As China spells lots of potential, we believe that China can offer. Despite the current market conditions, we see this rising middle class as a real force as far as the demand is concerned. In the long term, we believe we need to be able to capture and serve this customer well."

According to statistics from China's Ministry of Commerce, a total of 1,750 new American enterprises were established in China in 2018, a year-on-year increase of 30 percent. In the first 10 months of the year, the U.S. was among top 10 countries to have invested in China, posting an aggregate investment outlay of 2.7 billion U.S. dollars.

China and the U.S. established diplomatic relations 40 years ago. Since then, China-U.S. trade volume has increased from 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 1979 to 633.5 billion dollars in 2018, a 252-fold increase. But due to the current trade war and increasing competition between the two countries, many experts remain cautious about the bilateral relations.

Pascal Lamy, former director general of WTO, said "Big damage, small result. China and the U.S. relations will remain tense for the decade to come."

It has taken Washington and Beijing almost a year and a half of negotiations to reach the preliminary trade deal. Many hope the world's two largest economies will take this opportunity to stop their tariff war and resolve their differences through further constructive dialogue.