Kentucky vows to lead in boosting China ties

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin likes to spruce up his talks with quotations from historical figures like inventor Thomas Edison, as well as from ancient Chinese sayings, drawing on his background as an Asian studies major as a university student.

Quoting from Edison that "opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls looking like hard work", Bevin said Kentucky is "seizing opportunity" and taking the lead in strengthening ties with China by staging one outreach after another, for "the longest journey begins with a single step"-as a Chinese proverb goes.

In less than a year, Bevin has led a trade mission to China, becoming the first US governor to attend the inaugural China Import Expo in Shanghai, and hosting a China-US governors' summit in his state. He even threw a New Year's party for Chinese students at the governor's mansion in Frankfort in February.