Obama’s Home State Illinois Turns to China for Economic Boost

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, facing elevated unemployment and a budget shortfall, held talks with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan in Beijing, seeking to boost exports and lure investment.

“We see exports as a key driver of getting the economy into a higher gear and so we have to connect to China,” Quinn said in an interview in the city today after meeting Wang yesterday. A delegation of business leaders and officials from President Barack Obama’s home state is on an eight-day visit to the nation and Hong Kong.