Today U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China Hu Heping. During the meeting, Secretary Raimondo underscored the importance of people-to-people exchange to the broader U.S.-China bilateral relationship. Secretary Raimondo also noted the positive efforts made by the Department of Commerce and Ministry of Culture and Tourism to restore the United States as an approved destination for Chinese group travel, which will create jobs and grow the economies of both countries, and foster better understanding between the people and cultures of the two nations. 

In the meeting, Secretary Raimondo and Minister Hu agreed to hold the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit in China in the first half of 2024, aiming to further revive and develop tourism cooperation between the two countries.