On the first day of his trade mission in China, Gov. Tim Pawlenty climbed the Great Wall, toured the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, before stopping by a Dairy Queen in Beijing.
The governor is leading a 218-member delegation -- many from small- and medium-sized companies -- in the biggest state mission in U.S. history. The group also will visit Shanghai and Hong Kong this week.
He hopes the visit will help Minnesota capitalize on China's huge market -- the country has 1.3 billion people -- and its abundant opportunities.
"It's increasingly easier to do business in China," Pawlenty said. "It's not as mysterious as it was 20 years ago."
China buys more than $650 million worth of Minnesota goods each year and is the state's fourth-largest trade partner. In the second quarter, exports to China surged 65 percent to $273 million because of strong demand for computers, electronics and machinery.
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Most of Minnesota's signature companies, led by Maplewood-based 3M and Fridley-based Medtronic, have been doing business in China since the late 1980s. 3M, for example, has 2,800 employees in China and is building a $40 million research-and-development center in Shanghai, which is host to about 140 foreign-owned R&D centers.
"We don't want to miss the business opportunities," said Joe Liu, the company's China technical director.
But Pawlenty hopes small companies also can find a market in China.
"Bigger companies have the expertise," Pawlenty told the delegation before they left. "But more to the point, there are opportunities for smaller to midsize companies."
About 75 percent of the delegates -- including the governor -- are first-time visitors to China. They will attend 93 events, from meetings to breakfasts to symposiums, and hand out their newly translated Chinese business cards.
Three Willmar area residents are part of the trade mission.
Willmar Schools Superintendent Kathy Leedom is traveling with the education delegation.
Myron Behm of the Behm Seed Co. in Atwater and James Duininck of Prinsco in Prinsburg are part of the agriculture delegation.
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On Sunday, Pawlenty also stopped by a reception hosted by Minneapolis biotech firm Excorp Medical, before heading into a welcome dinner.
Today, the governor is expected to meet with U.S. Ambassador to China, Sandy Randt, and representatives from the U.S. Embassy. He's also scheduled to address the World Biofuels Symposium and attend a formal banquet at the Great Hall of the People.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also is touring China this week. President Bush will be in China during his Asia tour starting today.
