Banco da China Brasil and the Shanghai General Association of Brazil will support the São Paulo government in attracting investment to the state, the heads of the two institutions, respectively Zhang Guanghua and Marcos Zheng, said upon being received in audience by Governor Geraldo Alckmin.

“We want to support São Paulo state and deepen bilateral relations in all sectors,” said Zheng, who added that the two institutions would help publicise business opportunities in the state.

The governor’s last meeting with ranking Chinese officials was in December 2016, when he received China’s ambassador in Brazil, Li Jinzhang, for a meeting at the Bandeirantes Palace. The aim was to boost trade ties between São Paulo and China.

Information released by the state government indicates that Alckmin received Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong in August 2016 for talks that examined issues concerning employment and social security systems.

The São Paulo Investe state agency signed in January 2014 a memorandum of understanding with the Bank of China. It resulted in four Chinese business missions to São Paulo and one mission to China to publicise the state as a destination for foreign investment.