Last November, the governor led 200 people on a trade mission to China.

 

“I came away with a very dramatic perception that China is on the move culturally, economically, and educationally. I came away with the impression that it’s changing and moving fairly quickly, and the U.S. and other competitors need to change as well with some sense of urgency. If you look at our strengths, we should emphasize and highlight those. Minnesota is a huge agriculture state, and China has a huge population and will need more and more commodities, so there will be increased need for agricultural products. Our mining industry has been revived, and there is increased demand for steel, which is driven by China and its appetite for taconite. That’s a somewhat unique opportunity for Minnesota. Minnesota also has a world-leader status in medical technology and medical devices, and that also presents an opportunity.”