SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. Pat Quinn, while leading a trade delegation to China last week, coined a few new nicknames for himself; he called himself China’s “biggest fan from Illinois.” During what was the first trip by an Illinois governor to China since 1996, he also said he wants to be a “trade guru.”

“I want to be the exporter-in-chief for the state of Illinois,” Quinn added.

Whether he and some 35 others from Illinois on the trip succeeded is an opinion, but he said toward the end of the trip last week that Illinois will come out ahead because of the visit. “Continued trade and cooperation with China will help Illinois remain at the cutting edge of the global marketplace,” Quinn said. “We are committed to working alongside the people of China on issues such as education, tourism and trade in order to help grow our economy for years to come.”

The eight-day trip cost the state about $130,000, with Quinn’s campaign fund paying the travel costs of all state and university officials. Boosting interest in food products was a key goal of the mission, and one of the deals announced during the trip was a multimillion-dollar deal for soybeans.

Decatur-based Archer Daniels Midland Co. will sell 180,000 tons of soybeans to Chinese company Jiusan Oils and Grains Industries before the end of 2012, a move worth about $50 million.

Ag exports to China from Illinois ranked fifth among all goods sold to the Communist country, with about $347 million in products during 2010. The top four are machinery at $544 million; waste and scrap at $440 million; computer and electronic parts at $364 million; and transportation equipment at $360 million.

Quinn acknowledged during the trip that China-based Goldwind plans to build a $200 million wind farm in Lee County, Ill. The project should provide enough electricity for about 25,000 homes, while creating 100 construction jobs and about a dozen permanent jobs.

One of the trip participants was Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey, who touted the city landing a $12.5 million, 40,000 square-foot plant where Wanxiang America Corp. will make solar panels. Wanxiang is one of the top 500 companies in China and its Rockford plant is the largest solar panel manufacturer in the Midwest.

“We’re on a roll, and we want to keep it going,” Morrissey said.

Other deals announced on the trip were:

•The signing of a memorandum designed to increase collaboration between biotech companies and researchers in Illinois and China. The memorandum is between the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition, iBIO and China’s Shanghai Bio Pharmaceutics Assoc.

The Illinois coalition represents research universities and technology companies, while iBIO is an Illinois-based life sciences organization.

“This agreement provides a framework for Illinois and China to enhance business and education partnerships, and collaborate on the scientific breakthroughs that will accelerate company growth and foster the creation of jobs,” Quinn said, after a stop in Shanghai.

There are about 58,000 Illinois workers in the biosciences industry, according to Quinn’s office.

•Quinn also announced the near-completion of American Goods Centers (AGCs) in Beijing and Shanghai, and one to open in Chicago before the end of the year.

In January, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Chicago where the Beijing International Brand Management Center (BIBMC), along with the Chaoyang District of Beijing and Changning District of Shanghai and the state of Illinois, signed a memorandum to establish AGCs in Beijing and Shanghai to increase the exports of Illinois goods and foster more Chinese investment in Illinois.

Under the pact, the state will recommend Illinois products to the BIBMC – especially from the agricultural, auto parts and construction machinery sectors – and assist with establishing the purchase center in Chicago. BIBMC will provide intellectual property rights protection, Chinese distribution development, channel construction, marketing and other services to Illinois companies in China. “You’ve got to do it face-to-face, that’s a Chinese tradition. Their president came to only one state back in January; he came to Illinois. He told me then, he sees Illinois as a gateway to the Midwest. They want to receive more exports from our state, so we’ve got to make those connections if we’re going to create jobs,” Quinn said.

He also tasted his first bit of Asian carp during a formal dinner and said it tasted light and flavorful, not unlike tilapia. The governor believes the state can create a market for Asian carp (see related story on page 2B), which have invaded Midwest waterways, in the United States. Illinois also could become a big exporter of carp to China, the largest consumer of the fish in the world.