Blog Day 4
After spending two successful days on the ground in Hangzhou building, growing, and strengthening our relationship with the people of Zhejiang province I traveled north to Beijing for the last leg of the trade mission. Our focus here is agriculture and rural development.
Once we arrived in Beijing, I hosted a meeting with the Zhonglian Urban and Rural Development Research Center (ZURDRC) to explore possible collaborations between our agricultural industries. Agriculture is a thriving industry in our state. The industry adds $26 billion a year to our state's economy. The practices and production of our farmers place Indiana as an agricultural leader across the country. As China's population continues to grow they are looking to expand their agricultural base with quality food for their people. The Indiana agriculture industry would be a great partner to ZURDRC and we were able to share with their members the agriculture programs offered by Purdue Extension, Farm Bureau, and our pork commodity group. We hope to begin partnerships and collaborations with ZURDRC. We demonstrated this intent to work together and share resources by signing an MOU.
My last meeting of the mission connected us with Jilin Province, located in Northeastern China. Secretary General Mr. Liu quickly identified many of our similarities from climate to corn and soybean production to auto manufacturing. This meeting however focused on agriculture. Jilin Province has a population of 27 million. To put this in perspective Indiana's is 6.2 million. This large population is the perfect fit for collaboration of our goods and products, as the Chinese continue looking for quality food for their people. Jilin Province ranks first in China in grain production, is strong in livestock production and forestry as well. We also both have agricultural institutes of higher education and research for our future farmers. These arenas all fall right in line with Indiana's strengths and seem to be a natural fit with our agricultural industry. We made this intent to start an agricultural relationship official by signing an MOU.
Although our time in China was brief, the fruits of our labor are plentiful. I briefly want to reflect on everything that was accomplished by our visit across the Pacific.
- MOUs signed with three Chinese businesses: Jiaxing Stone Wheel, Godeagle, and Fukang Feather Company all with the intent to build or grow their company in Indiana
- Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Indiana's sister-state relationship with Zhejiang Province. The relationship was started by Governor Orr in 1987
- The creation of the Indiana-Zhejiang Exchange Council. The counterpart to the Indiana Working Group on China house at the Sagamore Institude. By definition the groups will "Identify, develop, cultivate, and maintain long term and mutually beneficial trade investment, culture, and educational relationships between governments, businesses, and people of China and Indiana."
- Members of our delegation visited nine various sister-cities. I personally spent part of the day in Anderson's sister-city Yuhang. There I made visits to China Ting Garment Company, a Primary school, and met with Vice-Mayor Xu.
- Two more sister-city relationships created by Logansport and White County. Indiana and China now have 22 sister-city relationships or potential relationships.
- MOU signed between IU health and Zhejiang Hospitals to begin a partnership.
- Met with Chairman Nan of Chint Solar about potential for investment in Indiana and current projects in our state including the Indianapolis Airport.
- Held the 9th Indiana-Zhejiang Business and Trade Exchange Summit. Chinese businesses, 40 total, had time to visit booths set up by our delegation to explore potential investments in our state.
- MOU signed with ZURDRC to demonstrate the intent to collaborate on agricultural needs and products with Purdue Extension and Farm Bureau
- MOU signed with Jilin Province to show the intent to begin an agriculture based relationship and collaboration on our goods, products, and research.
As a relationship grows not all of the results are immediate. During the past three days, intent for companies to do business in Indiana were signed, partnerships were formed, but most importantly the path for the future was paved. Governor Orr in 1987 started down the path with the foresight to see that to be competitive economically, global trade was a must. Now 25 years later the results are evident. Just in the past 12 years Indiana's exports to China have increased 554%, and is Indiana's 2nd largest Asian trading partner. I thank the Chinese for their support in Indiana companies, their business investment in our state, and for their friendship.
Day 4 Photos
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