Gov. Jim Doyle and Wisconsin's trade delegation, which includes UW-Madison representatives, recently completed a successful stop in Beijing, China, where they discussed importation of Wisconsin products.
Doyle told the press in a conference call Tuesday that both he and the delegation were well received.
\It was really a remarkable time in Beijing and I think that we expected that doors would be opened for us, but I think they were opened even wider,"" Doyle said.
Doyle said Chinese business leaders are interested in a variety of Wisconsin products and services in areas including medical technology, dairy genetics, agricultural products and construction and transportation equipment.
""I think its very clear that their philosophy is to try to grow their economy and increase their number of imports to bring the trade more into balance, and that is good for Wisconsin,"" he said.
The Olympics will be held in China in 2008 and could open up more opportunities for Wisconsin's construction and transportation industries.
The delegation aims to improve Wisconsin's economic opportunity in China and cure the trade imbalance between the two nations. The delegation comprised of 80 people includes government officials, state industry and business representatives and is the largest in Wisconsin's history.
Edward Friedman, a UW-Madison political science professor, said business leaders would have gone to China anyway but said Doyle's presence will most likely attract more attention to their visit and make it easier for them to arrange meetings with Chinese business leaders.
Rick Klemme, associate dean for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is among the UW-Madison representatives traveling with the delegation in China.
He aims to meet with various organizations and build relationships abroad to improve UW-Madison research-student exchange with China, according to Karen Nielsen of the Babcock Institute for International Dairy Research and Development.
The Babcock Institute has a relationship with the Ministry of Agriculture Feed Industry Center at the China Agriculture University in Beijing and, according to Nielsen, Klemme has met with representatives to show UW-Madison's support for a proposed U.S. Dairy Research Center.
Nielsen said a new research center could be mutually beneficial by helping UW-Madison agriculture students learn about dairy production in China, and helping agriculture students and workers in China learn how to raise milk production.
