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China’s Vice Premier Wu’s visit to South Carolina a success

Trip culminates in greater support for ongoing trade and research collaboration

Columbia, SC – Upon completion of a two-day visit to South Carolina, state officials touted success in building its ongoing relationship with China to secure Chinese investment in South Carolina and foster continued growth in the export of South Carolina businesses’ goods to Chinese consumers.

The Vice Premier of China, Madame Wu Yi, arrived Sunday morning with an official delegation that included China’s ambassador to the U.S., Zhou Wenzhong, and New York Consul General Liu Biwei, along with 17 ministers and vice ministers and 37 directors general from the central government in Beijing. The delegation was welcomed at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport by South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford, Secretary of Commerce Joe Taylor, and other key Commerce and state officials.

After a visit to the Congaree National Park, Madame Wu met with state and federal officials including Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint at the Governor’s Mansion to discuss a proposal from Governor Mark Sanford that would foster further collaboration with China and the Palmetto State. The specific items addressed were efforts to

· enhance South Carolina – China business cooperation to enable more Chinese companies to invest in building manufacturing and research and development facilities in South Carolina;

· study the creation of a China – USA Innovation Research Center in South Carolina that would promote ongoing research in manufacturing, building on the synergies that exist with the Haier manufacturing facility as well as looking at potential projects in automotive, aviation and white goods design and production;

· collaborate with the state’s three leading research institutions on medical research in the areas of cancer research and gene therapy; and

· develop a rural development strategy to create and retain jobs and employment as well as provide adequate education and medical care in rural regions of South Carolina based on collaboration with Chinese government officials addressing similar needs in rural regions of China.

In addition, a follow-up visit to China was proposed, to be led by Gov. Sanford and/or Secretary of Commerce Taylor. Since taking office in 2003, Gov. Sanford has made two official visits to China, including last October’s visit to open the new South Carolina China office in Shanghai. South Carolina’s China office is the only state trade office focused primarily on recruiting Chinese companies to build manufacturing plants back in South Carolina, resulting in significant investment and creating jobs for workers in the Palmetto State. Sanford’s commitment to furthering South Carolina-China relations has been an important part of his administration’s efforts to make South Carolina more competitive in the global marketplace.

On Monday, members of the Chinese business and government delegation also participated in a half-day business forum at the Columbia Marriott where South Carolina business leaders described the many benefits their international companies had experienced by choosing to locate operations in the state. Several South Carolina businesses also took part in a trade show exhibition as part of the forum.

In his remarks to the 150 forum attendees, Taylor reiterated the Governor’s and Commerce’s support for continued investment by Chinese companies. Attendees also heard of the growing importance of the east corridor shipping channels and how South Carolina’s ports fill a critical need in global commerce.

The Executive Vice President of Haier America Shariff Kan addressed the forum with his message of how the company plans to grow its presence in South Carolina at the Haier campus in Kershaw County. He identified that in the course of the next two years Haier would locate additional product manufacturing at its Camden plant, resulting in even more new jobs. Haier was the first direct foreign investment by a Chinese company in the United States, and remains the largest such direct investment. Currently, Chinese companies have invested $120 million in South Carolina and employ nearly 1,000 people in the state.

As Kan spoke, Madame Wu was in Camden at Haier America as the company announced plans to sponsor the National Basketball Association.

The Vice Premier and her delegation travel next to Washington, DC to co-chair the US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade with US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez.

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