The facilities of Fuyao Glass in Dayton, Ohio on September 29, 2016. Photo: VCG

Local governments in the US are encouraging and supporting investors from China to prop up their local job markets, at a time when such investment is plunging amid the two countries' unstable economic relations. 

On Monday, Ohio government officials presented a letter of commendation to domestic glass manufacturer Fuyao Glass, praising the company's contribution to the local job market, Fuyao confirmed to the Global Times in a statement. 

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said in the letter that Fuyao's investment in the US has created many jobs, stimulated local economic growth and exerted a notable impact on the development of the Miami Valley, according to Fuyao. 

DeWine also said that he hopes Fuyao's success will drive more Chinese companies to invest in Ohio. 

Fuyao Glass also said that it would in 2020 invest about $46 million in its US plant to update its manufacturing facilities. It will also add about 100 jobs to its current 2,300-employee team.

Fuyao's investment in the US is a vivid example of how Chinese manufacturing companies are welcomed and supported by local US governments for their contributions to the US economy, despite the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on made-in-China goods via tariffs and other means of protectionism, which has also dragged down China's investment in the US. 

Investment flows between the China and the US fell to the lowest level in five years to about $13 billion in the first six months in 2019, according to a study led by research firm Rhodium Group.

Cao Dewang, chairman of Fuyao Glass, said that Chinese and US companies should not abandon the trust they have built up through long-term investments due to a temporary situation.  

"Fluctuations in the China-US trade relations might cause Chinese workers to lose their jobs and US consumers to see their living costs increase significantly. It would be a good thing if the two countries can seek common ground while maintaining their differences amid their competition," he said. 

"So far, China-US relations are developing toward a better direction. This also shows, to some extent, that Fuyao has been correct in its overseas layout strategy," a person close to Fuyao told the Global Times on Wednesday on condition of anonymity. 

Wang Danqing, co-partner of Beijing-based Ruixin Zhicheng Consultancy, told the Global Times that the China-US trade war has brought some problems to China-US investment, but Chinese companies' continued investment in the US like Fuyao's plans can present the good image of Chinese companies and represent the trend of globalization. 

"It shows that China-US relations have reached a new stage," he said, adding that the US needs Chinese investment, particularly in the manufacturing sector, in hopes that those companies can create a lot of jobs.  

China and the US are poised to sign a trade deal soon to halt the trade war that has lasted nearly two years and seen the two countries increasing import tariffs on each other's goods.