Kentucky governor eager to do business with China

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin accepts a gift from China Minister-Counselor Tian Deyou on Tuesday at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky. [Photo by May Zhou/China Daily]

There are only a few Chinese companies in Kentucky, but the Bluegrass State's governor wants to change that.

The first Chinese company ventured into Kentucky in 2013, when Shandong Borun Process Industrial Technology Co acquired Birtley Industrial Equipment.

Last year, Haier Group acquired GE Appliances for $5.6 billion. In the same year, a consortium of investors led by Apex Technology based in Zhuhai, Guangdong province and PAG Asia Capital acquired Lexmark International Inc for $3.6 billion. Together, the Chinese companies employ about 8,500 people in the state.

For Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, the recent flurry of activity is just the beginning. He wants to see more Chinese investment coming to the state.

In a meeting on Tuesday with a Chinese business delegation led by China Minister-Counselor Tian Deyou from the Chinese embassy in the US, Bevin expressed his strong desire to work with China:

"China is such a global powerhouse; it's crazy we don't have more Chinese companies headquartered here. We are starting to see some, but we should see a whole lot more. This is why I am excited to talk to you: What are the ways we can make it easier for you to do business with us here in Kentucky?"