On June 24, Consul General Gao Yanping of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Houston met with Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp in the Capital of the State of Georgia.

Consul General Gao said, Georgia is a important State in the United States. Since her assumption as the Chinese Consul General in Houston, she has paid several visits to Georgia and met with Secretary Kemp twice this year. China values the friendly cooperation with Georgia. The Second Round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which was concluded not long ago, has created new opportunities for the development of China-U.S. relations as well as the exchanges and cooperation between China and the State of Georgia. China is the second largest exporting market of Georgia with approximately 1.8 billion of goods exporting to China in the year 2009. More and more Chinese enterprises make investment and set up business in Georgia. The exchanges and cooperation in the fields of science, education and culture etc. are increasingly broadened and deepened. Consul General Gao hoped Secretary of State Kemp can continue to promote the friendly relationship between China and Georgia in order to bring the exchanges and cooperation to a more extensive level for the benefits of the two peoples.

Secretary of State Kemp said, Georgia is strong in agriculture, manufacturing and service industries in the United States. However, Georgia is facing tough economic situation due to the impact by the economic downturn and high unemployment rate. He hoped to create more jobs for the people and boost the economy by establishing the exchanges and cooperation with China in all fields, such as trade. He is ready to spare no efforts to promote the economic and trade cooperation between Georgia and China. He is considering leading a trade delegation to visit China after the mid-term election this year.