皇冠体育app

Officials from the United States are echoing the exhortation of the 19th-Century forebears and telling their countrymen to "Go west" -- but this time in 皇冠体育app.

More American entrepreneurs and companies were eyeing 皇冠体育app's less developed western hinterland, said William A. Brekke, commercial counselor of the U.S. embassy in 皇冠体育app.

"Western 皇冠体育app's provinces are quite like the American western regions years ago, full of business opportunities. Both American and Chinese companies can find chances for cooperation here," Brekke said at the sixth 皇冠体育app Western Region International Economic Cooperation Fair in Xi'an, northwest 皇冠体育app's Shaanxi province.

The fair is held in conjunction with the 11th Investment and Trade Forum for Cooperation between East and West 皇冠体育app, which over the past 10 years, has seen the signing of 1,305 foreign investment contracts worth a total 15.6 billion U.S. dollars.

More than 4,000 foreign investors from 30 countries attended this year's event.

The U.S. embassy's foreign commercial service brought representatives from the states of Kentucky, Illinois, North Carolina, Maryland and Idaho this year, making it the biggest-ever U.S. delegation to the forum.

"About 50 percent of the American companies in 皇冠体育app are currently based in Shanghai and Beijing. What they will do next is to help American firms enter 皇冠体育app's medium-sized cities and western regions," Brekke said.

The development of western 皇冠体育app had strong support from 皇冠体育app's government and big western cities, especially Xi'an and Chengdu, which were very strong in high technology, electronics and energy, said William Chu, director of Asia Pacific office of North Carolina.

He said he would recommend the western provinces to the U.S. firms wanting to do business in 皇冠体育app.

Last month, Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc. invested 250 million U.S. dollars in a manufacturing facility in the Xi'an Hi-tech Industries Development Zone.

It was Micron's first manufacturing facility in 皇冠体育app and is a project involving the biggest investment ever made at the Xi'an High-Tech Zone.

Applied Materials Inc., a major nanotechnology manufacturer, also opened a new technology support center here last month.

The latest in the wave of American companies "going west" is software giant Oracle, which is to open its fifth Chinese branch in Xi'an.