California hires trade rep to China

SACRAMENTO -- California has a new trade representative in China: Diane Long.

The 28-year China veteran will run the California Office of Trade and Investment in Shanghai. The office is a joint venture between the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and the Bay Area Council, a San Francisco-based business group.

“California and China have maintained a robust trade and investment relationship, but the potential to expand that connectivity is limitless,” said Mike Rossi, Gov. Jerry Brown’s senior jobs advisor.

“Diane will focus on creating business-to-business connections between California and China to ensure that the Golden State takes full advantage of every international business opportunity.”

Long, a native Californian, has done business in China for almost three decades and is the former chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

California’s trade office officially opened in April during a trade mission by Brown and business leaders to China.

[For the record, 2:30 p.m.: A previous version of this post said the trade office opened last October.]

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