Members of the Houston chapter of the China General Chamber of Commerce USA attend the annual election meeting on Aug 21 in Houston.MAY ZHOU / CHINA DAILY

The Houston chapter of the China General Chamber of Commerce USA (CGCC) has a new group of leaders.

On Aug 21, a new board of directors was elected to head the local chapter with Li Shaolin, president of PetroChina International (USA) Inc voted as chairman to succeed Chen Yu, president of Sinochem American Holdings.

CGCC is an organization consisting of Chinese-owned companies in the United States. The Houston chapter covers the eight Chinese consular states in the South.

“Our goal is to help Chinese companies to develop business, promote the interaction between Chinese companies with local businesses and government, and help the Chinese companies to develop on a long-term basis,” Li said. “We will turn the chapter into a business platform for information exchange and help each other to overcome business obstacles.”

Li said that a discussion on current crude oil prices and the energy business trend will be the next business event. The establishment of a Chinese entrepreneur salon and questionnaire to solicit suggestions on how to better serve member companies also are in the plan.

About 40 people from different states attended the meeting, including representatives from China’s state-owned enterprises as well as companies in the private sector.

According to Li, the local chapter was registered as a non-profit organization in Texas, and the chapter office will be housed by PetroChina. The board of directors consists of 21 company members. Li said he hope to expand the membership from the current 40 to 80 in the near future.

Chinese Consul General Li Qiangmin, Deputy Consul General Li Guixi and CGCC Executive Director Candice Niu attended the meeting. Li said that Chinese companies, by developing their businesses here, also help to promote the China-US relations. He encouraged the Chinese companies to better integrate into local communities through charity and other civic involvement and by following local regulations and customs.