THE Wisconsin Center China, an office to support trade and investment between the American state and China, was opened today in Shanghai.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker attended the opening ceremony of the office, expecting a closer business tie in between.

"The trade center strengthens our relationship with China, creating more export opportunities for Wisconsin businesses in this growing market," Walker said.

China has been an important market for Wisconsin exports in sectors including industrial machinery, medical equipment, clean energy, clean water technologies and agricultural products.

China is Wisconsin's third-largest export market. Last year, Wisconsin's exports to China increased 11.8 percent from a year earlier to US$1.5 billion.