On August 28, Consul General Gao Yanping attended the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting of the United States Southern Governors' Association (SGA) and the seminar of "Strengthen the trade and business relations between China and U.S. Southern States" in Birmingham, Alabama. More than 300 distinguished guests attended the annual meeting, including the Chinese delegation led by Mr. Zhou Wenzhong, Vice President of the China-US People's Friendship Association and former Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and Directors of the Economic and Development Departments from the 10 U.S. southern states and 2 federal territories and representatives from the business circles of China and the United States.

Governor Bob Riley, President of Southern Governors' Association, welcomed the Chinese delegation in his opening remarks. He said, the U.S, southern states enjoyed a robust economic growth, which is the new growing point of the U.S. economy. While China's rapid and stable economic growth attracts global attention. The SGA highly values its economic and trade cooperation with China. The economies of China and the U.S. are mutually complementary and have great potential of growth. He believes that the mutually beneficial and win-win trade cooperation between the two countries conforms to the benefits of the two peoples and is conducive to the economic and social development of the two countries. He hopes to promote the mutual beneficial cooperation in all fields between the two parties to a higher level by taking full advantages of the platform of SGA.

Vice President Zhou Wenzhong, Mr. Xing Huidong, Vice Secretary General of Zhejiang Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, CEO of Haier America and General Manager of Shangdong Sun Paper Industry Joint Stock Co. Ltd made keynote speeches respectively. They stressed the significance and great potentials of carrying out the bilateral exchanges and cooperation and establishing partnership relations at the local level. In the year of 2009, the export volume from the 16 U.S. southern states to China totaled 26 billion USD, 37% increase of the previous year. They expressed their hope to take the opportunity of the annual meeting of the SGA to jointly enhance the exchanges and cooperation between China and the U.S. in all areas to a new level.

Consul General Gao and Governor Riley

 Consul General Gao and Governor Perdue

Consul General Gao and the Governors and Directors of the Economic and Development Departments of various states exchanged views on extensive topics including the consolidation of the bilateral friendship and further establishment of the all-around substantial cooperation, etc.

Consul General Gao and Governor McDonnell

Consul General Gao and Governor Barbour

Founded in 1934, the SGA supports the work of southern Governors by providing a regional forum to help shape and implement national policy and solve regional problems. The 16 southern states register 1/4 of the total area, 2/5 of the total population and 1/3 of the total GDP of the United States.