China playing an increasingly vital role in US companies' growth plans

As California-based Tesla Motors Inc will start partial production in Shanghai in the second half of next year, and Boeing delivered first airplane from its Zhoushan facility in China earlier this month, business leaders believe that stable China-US relations will help more companies from the United States maintain robust growth in China.

China has become an integral part of the growth plans of many US businesses, not just because of its sheer size but also due to its strategic importance, according to Stephen Shafer, president of 3M China, the Minnesota-headquartered conglomerate.

"China is actually becoming the leader in many markets and technologies that we are interested in," said Shafer, referring to digital platforms in China that help companies engage with customers.