NEW YORK Hayden Hurst Jersey , Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. state of Missouri looks to expand trade and investment cooperation with China, which is ""a key economic partner,"" Missouri governor said.
""Missouri has a 4.4-billion-U.S.-dollar trade agreement with China to facilitate expansion of trade and investment. We want to increase that number,"" Eric Greitens told Xinhua in an email interview on Thursday, ahead of his four-day trip to China.
The trip, which starts on Monday, will be Greitens' first international trade mission since he became Missouri governor early this year Harold Landry Jersey , during which he is expected to visit several cities and meet with Chinese business leaders.
""We want this trip to show the many reasons why businesses, investors and students should call Missouri their American home,"" Greitens said.
Explaining why he has chosen to visit China, the governor said the country is ""a key economic partner for Missouri"" and one of the Midwestern U.S. state's top export partners.
China is now Missouri's third largest trading partner and export market. In 2016, Missouri's exports of goods to China reached 1.8 billion U.S. dollars, up 76 percent from 10 years ago, while its exports to the rest of the world grew only 9 percent Frank Ragnow Jersey , figures from the U.S.-China Business Council show.
Missouri's exports to China supported 17,200 American jobs in 2015, the council said.
""Our delegation's goal for this trip is to strengthen our trade relationship and let China's business community know that Missouri is a top state to partner with and invest in,"" Greitens said.
The governor listed a wide array of industries that he believed China and Missouri share interest in growing, including manufacturing, health sciences, health services Duke Dawson Jersey , technology, transportation and logistics, energy, automotive, financial and professional services, and biotechnology.