Gov. Jim Doyle plans to lead the largest foreign trade delegation in the history of Wisconsin when he goes to China later this month, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The delegation will make stops in four cities in twelve days and aims to sell Wisconsin-made machinery, medical technology and grains to the China market.
\We have not come close to tapping the full potential of this trade relationship,"" Doyle said in a briefing to delegates last month. ""We do not intend to see China as a threat, but as an opportunity, and not as a foe, but as a friend.""
Doyle's contingent of 80 delegates will rank as the second-largest trade mission to China from any state in the United States. According to The Journal Sentinel, those entrenched in China believe opportunities for entrepreneurs are ripe, given the country's rapidly-expanding middle class.
Forty-six companies are currently supporting Doyle's efforts. The tour comes as Wisconsin faces a 12-year low in factory employment.
""Doyle is trying to do something positive for Wisconsin,"" spokesperson for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce Peter Beitzel told The Journal Sentinel.
Wisconsin is a strong exporter, as sales of state goods to non-U.S. buyers has outpaced national export growth the past two years. The state's exports grew almost 8 percent in 2003, almost double the 4.4 percent national average. According to Census Bureau figures, Wisconsin ranks 16th in the nation in exports to China, with $548.2 million in shipments.
