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Economic officials from Jinhua, Zhejiang, China, visited Warsaw Thursday to meet with several local companies.
The officials advised the companies, including Maple Leaf Farms, Milford; QS2000 Inc., Fort Wayne; and Dolphin Controls System, Chesterton, on Jinhua's business environment and key industries in hopes of identifying promising potential business opportunities. The meeting was held at the Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce after the officials visited Biomet Inc.
Officials involved in the visit included Ying Bing Xing, Jinhua Municipal Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau director; Hong Jincheng, honorary president of Lanxi City Private Enterprise; and Wang Ping, section chief of Jinhua Municipal Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau.
According to Christofer Matney, Asia trade specialist, International Trade Division, Indiana Department of Commerce, Indianapolis, who was traveling with the group on their visits throughout Indiana, he was informed in June the city of Jinhua was sending selected city officials to Indiana. Matney was asked to put together an itinerary for the officials' two-day visit. Also in June, in a separate incident, Matney said he was asked by the city of Hammond to help them develop a city-sister relationship with Jinhua.
While Matney was working on the itinerary, several companies expressed an interest in doing business with China, and Matney helped arrange visits by the officials to the interested companies. Biomet, he said, was one of the first businesses to express an interest in the officials' visit. Matney worked with Karen J. Sanclemente, northern Indiana regional trade specialist for the Indiana Department of Commerce International Trade Division, Fort Wayne, on creating the meeting at the Chamber for the officials and company representatives of Dolphin Controls, QS2000 and Maple Leaf Farms.
By Jinhua officials visiting Indiana, Matney said, it gives the businesses a chance to learn about the China city and its market, saving travel expenses and time.
Jinhua is in the Chinese province of Zhejiang. Indiana has an established sister-state/province relationship with Zhejiang and this year is celebrating the 15th anniversary of that relationship.
On Oct. 28, the Indiana Department of Commerce will participate in a business trade mission to visit its "sister" at the West Lake Expo in the Zhejiang province. For more information, contact Matney at 317-974-0241.
