Photo taken on Nov. 3, 2019 shows flower decorations outside the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) where the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) is held, in Shanghai, east China. (Photo by Wang Xiang/Xinhua)
"About one in three jobs in Washington depends on international trade, and China has been an extremely important part of our global trade and cultural relationships for generations," said Lisa Brown, director of the Washington State Department of Commerce.
The U.S. state of Washington has great interest in exploring opportunities in the clean energy sector with China, a senior official has said.
"We see tremendous opportunities to work with enterprises in China as we move toward a global low-carbon future," Lisa Brown, director of the Washington State Department of Commerce, told Xinhua in a recent written interview.
Brown, who is leading a Washington trade delegation to attend the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) currently underway in Shanghai, eastern China, noted that Washington researchers and companies are on the leading edge of clean energy technology development.
Washington has set an ambitious goal of making the state's electricity free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, she said.
In their China trip, some of the Washington delegates will participate in a renewable energy conference in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province in eastern China, Brown said.
Washington, a state on the U.S. west coast, has long maintained close business ties with China in many traditional sectors such as agriculture, aerospace and information and communication technology. But "we applaud China's commitment to renewable energy and low-carbon fuels," she added.
Aerial photo taken on Aug. 23, 2018 shows the Bianshan wind farm in Changxing County, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
Many of the state's firms in agriculture, seafood and value-added food processing are eager to develop new business leads at this year's CIIE in Shanghai, she said.
Aerospace alone accounts for about 10 billion U.S. dollars in Washington exports to China, she noted.
Tool Gauge, one of the more than 1,400 aerospace suppliers in Washington, is sponsoring the state's attendance at the CIIE this year.
"We are the most trade-centric state in the U.S.," said Brown. "About one in three jobs in Washington depends on international trade, and China has been an extremely important part of our global trade and cultural relationships for generations."
Big-name companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks, Amazon, Expedia, Costco, as well as many small and medium-sized firms are all in active trade with China, while China's top business players such as Alibaba, Huawei and Baidu have kept a strong presence in Washington state, she said.
"CIIE is a tremendous opportunity to connect with the world's second largest economy and fast-growing consumer market," Brown said.
Editor:Cherie
