Governor's Trade Mission to China
June 7 - 15, 2002
Governor Jesse Ventura led a business development mission to China in June 2002 as part of China Minnesota Ventures. With a delegation that included four business groups and more than 100 participants, it was Minnesota's most ambitious trade mission to date and the largest delegation to China ever organized by any other state.
The mission included meetings with business and government leaders and several public events in Beijing and Shanghai. The governor promoted Minnesota exports, particularly those in three industries offering the greatest potential for growth: agriculture and processed foods, information technology and medical products.
Delegate reactions were overwhelmingly positive, with nearly unanimous agreement among the business leaders that significant progress had been made during the mission toward meeting their companies' goals. One participant told the governor, "If you led another mission like this one to China a year from now, I can guarantee that you would fill two 747's with business leaders."
Governor Ventura also met with several Chinese leaders, who expressed gratitude for his support of China's entry into the World Trade Organization. A strong advocate of free and fair trade, the governor told members of Congress that the Chinese market represents huge potential for Minnesota. " China represents the number one marketing opportunity of the 21st century… and I came to this job determined to leave my state positioned to seize the day."
The governor's testimony clearly paid dividends for Minnesota delegation. One participant noted that the weeklong mission "was more valuable to my company than $1 million in business." The U.S. consulate general in Shanghai reported that his office had never before received so many requests from potential Chinese partners to meet with business delegates from a state trade mission.
China is one of the world's largest economies, with a gross domestic product of more than $1 trillion. Between 1997 and 2001, Minnesota exports to China grew by 84 percent - more than four times the national rate - making it the state's fourth largest export destination.
The Minnesota Trade Office has begun building on the mission's success by providing several networking opportunities for business participants and other companies interested in exporting to China.
During the mission, Minnesota students received daily updates and learned more about the state's relationship with China through Making Connections: China, an online educational project sponsored by the Minnesota Office of Technology, the Department of Trade and Economic Development and the Department of Children, Families and Learning.