An important delegation from the United States visited the city of Xiamen, Fujian province recently, according to local officials.

They said that at the invitation of Fujian's Foreign Affairs Office, US lawmaker Jeff Barker, a member of the House of Representatives in the state of Oregon, led the delegation to visit Xiamen on Sept 29.

The American delegation aimed to know about the Chinese city's economic and social development, as well as to promote exchanges and business with Xiamen.

They visited Xiamen Intretech Inc and the imported goods direct-sales center of Xiamen Seashine Group, a state-owned company which is a wholesaler and distributor of food products.

While touring Xiamen Intretech Inc, the US guests praised the innovation and operational capabilities of intelligent manufacturing companies in the city as they got a further understanding of Made in China 2025, the strategy aiming to upgrade China from being the world's "factory" to producing higher value products and services.

In Xiamen Seashine Group's imported goods direct-sales center the guests explored the possibility to further expand exports of the agricultural and animal husbandry products from Oregon to China with the Xiamen company. Officials said that agreements were brokered in trading meat, seafood and nuts.

During their stay, the delegation also visited Gulangyu Island and Xiamen Planning Exhibition Hall to learn about the city's history and culture, current achievements and future plans.

Fujian established sister-province relations with Oregon in 1984, the first forged by the Chinese province in the US.

With an area of 254,000 square kilometers and a population of 4.41 million, Oregon is the ninth largest state in the country. Agriculture, forestry, hi tech and tourism are its four major industries and sports brands, such as Nike and Columbia, are headquartered in Oregon.

In addition, the state is also a role model of environmental protection with concepts and technologies involved in urban planning, green architectural design and renewable energy sources leading the way in the US.

The delegation from the US state of Oregon visits the imported goods direct-sales center of Xiamen Seashine Group, exploring more exports of Oregon's agricultural and animal husbandry products to China. [Photo/fao.xm.gov.cn]