On March 15, a business delegation headed by Michael Cade, executive director, Thurston Economic Development Council, Washington, visited Changzhou to expand exchanges and cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, finance, science and technology, and higher education. Vice Mayor Fang Guoqiang met with the delegates.

Last year, Changzhou’s total trade with the United States reached 5.3 billion U.S. dollars. The amount of investment made by Changzhou companies in the United States reached 400 million dollars, while U.S. companies invested a total of 2 billion in Changzhou.

Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of theUnited States. Olympia is the state capital. Significant business within the state include the design and manufacture of aircraft (Boeing), automotive(Paccar), computer software development (Microsoft, Bungie, Amazon, Nintendo of America, Valve Corporation, ArenaNet), telecom (T-Mobile US), electronics, biotechnology, aluminum production, lumber and wood products (Weyerhaeuser), mining, beverages (Starbucks, Jones Soda), real estate (John L. Scott, Colliers International, Windermere Real Estate, Kidder Mathews), retail (Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer, Car Toys,Costco, R.E.I.), and tourism (Alaska Airlines, Expedia, Inc.). A Fortune magazine survey of the top 20 Most Admired Companies in the US has four Washington-based companies: Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Costco.

Before the meeting, the delegation visited Terex (Changzhou) Machinery Co., Ltd. in Changzhou National High-tech District.