Illinois Governor Rauner to visit China to strengthen trade ties

Governor Bruce Rauner of Illinois(left three) and Hong Lei, consul general of the Chinese General Consulate in Chicago(right three) take a photo. Photo provided to China Daily.

Governor Bruce Rauner of Illinois will visit China in mid-September, marking his first trip to China since he took office in January 2015.

The governor's mission will bring together leaders in business, education and government to focus on creating opportunities for Illinois businesses as well as strengthening trade ties with China, according to a news release by illinois.gov. The delegation will visit Shanghai and Hangzhou.

"I'm glad to learn that Governor Rauner will soon begin his first official visit to China, one of Illinois' important partners," said Hong Lei, consul general of the Chinese General Consulate in Chicago. "I highly appreciate Governor Rauner's efforts in strengthening economic cooperation as well as cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges between China and Illinois. I sincerely wish Governor Rauner's visit a complete success and hope this visit can bring our friendship and cooperation to the next level."