CHICAGO — Chicago's mayor courted Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday during a whirlwind visit that included a tour of a local high school and stop at a business expo in an effort to boost economic ties between the world's second-largest economy and companies in Chicago and elsewhere in the Midwest.
"We in Chicago, we in the region, we in the Midwest want to act as a gateway for Chinese business investment into America, and at the same time we want to make sure that our businesses are a gateway into China as well," Daley said after squiring Hu to the expo where about a dozen Chinese businesses with operations in the Midwest had set up exhibits to show off their companies.
Hu was apparently impressed.
"These businesses have injected fresh momentum into the American economy and created jobs here. The Chinese government will continue to encourage our companies to do business and make investments here," Hu said through a translator.
Hu arrived in Chicago on Thursday after two days of White House meetings. His overnight Chicago trip focused largely on economic ties between the United States' third-largest city and China.
Experts say the attention from China has been the envy of other U.S. cities and could mark a gigantic — and profitable — step forward for both parties, despite a sometimes rocky U.S.-China relationship.
Many have credited Daley's efforts for Hu's decision to come to Chicago. The mayor has traveled to China four times since 2004, touting Chicago as a global transportation hub with large manufacturing and industrial sectors friendly to Chinese business.
One of the businesses on display for Hu at the expo in Chicago suburb of Woodridge was Anthony Urban's D&R Technology of Carol Stream, an automotive supply company his family sold to the Wanxiang Group in October. The company has 165 workers in Illinois, another 250 in Mexico and they plan to open a manufacturing facility in China to sell their products.
Urban, the company's president, said selling to a Chinese firm was a "heads-up" decision and Hu's visit bodes well for future business deals.
"What this does is simply illustrate that China is investing more in the United States and that creates jobs," he said.
China's commerce minister said Friday that he foresees Illinois and the rest of the Midwest playing a major role in future trade deals between his country and the United States.
Chen Deming addressed the U.S.-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum in Chicago, which coincided with Hu's visit to the city. Chen said through an interpreter that the Midwest's agricultural and manufacturing products are strong complements to China, and "from the eyes of the Chinese, this region is so important."
He says his country also believes Chinese investment in the region could help boost the U.S. economy.
"Daley promised that Chicago would be the most China-friendly city," Chen said. "Chicago is well-known to the world."
Hu got a glimpse of Chicago during his high-profile visit, including a tour of a Chicago high school Friday and a lavish dinner in his honor Thursday at a downtown hotel.
At least 40 Chinese businesses now have operations in the Chicago area, and the number is growing. Meanwhile, several Chicago area-based companies have expanded operations in China.
"Boeing, Motorola, Caterpillar, McDonald's and many other Midwestern companies have become household names in China," Hu said Thursday.
Hu earlier congratulated Daley on his 22 years in office, calling him "the most senior mayor in America."
The retiring Democratic mayor has largely stayed away from politics in developing a relationship with China. He went to Shanghai last year to headline "Chicago Days" at the 2010 World Expo. In 2008, he went to the Beijing Olympics to look for lessons for Chicago's failed 2016 Summer Olympics bid. He has avoided criticizing China for human rights issues and stayed away from U.S. manufacturers' claims that China undervalues its currency to make its exports cheaper than U.S. products, contributing to high unemployment here.
When Daley first went to China nearly seven years ago, he visited an elementary school where all the students spoke proficient English. Daley got to show off a school of his own Friday when he toured a Chicago high school with Hu where students can learn Chinese.
The city's Confucius Institute is housed at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, a prestigious math, science and language academy near downtown. While similar Confucius Institutes are generally housed at universities, the Chicago institute at the high school has about 12,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade taking Chinese through its program.
Daley said learning Chinese was a life-changing experience for students and he said having such global awareness in the school system was good for both students and the economy.
"The bottom line is that a strong school system makes Chicago a more attractive location for existing businesses, as well as new ones," Daley said.
Associated Press writers Tammy Webber and Sophia Tareen contributed to this report from Chicago. Rousseau reported from Woodridge.