Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber said Tuesday in a teleconference call from China they believe a trade mission in which they are taking part has laid the groundwork for boosting Tennessee exports to China while encouraging Chinese companies to locate facilities in the Volunteer State.

"I think I've had a very successful trip to China thus far," Gov. Bredesen said.

The trade mission includes visits to the cities of Beijing, Xi'an, Hangzhou and Hong Kong and is focused on health care and clean energy opportunities, according to a press release from the governor.

During the 11 a.m. conference call with reporters from across the state, Bredesen said he and Kisber had just arrived in Hong Kong after visits with a trade delegation to a number of "second-tier" Chinese cities that don't usually receive such visits.

"We got off the beaten path," Bredesen said.

Although the visited cities may be small by Chinese standards, one of those visited has a population of 8 million people and two of the visited provinces, which are the equivalent of U.S. states, were larger than California, Bredesen said.

The governor noted that he and Kisber had detailed talks with the governors of two Chinese provinces about business investment and export-import opportunities that could benefit both China and Tennessee.

Memorandums of understanding were signed with both Chinese governors, he said, noting that such documents could lead to future business undertakings between Tennessee and Chinese firms.

"At the end of the day, if nothing else, I think we may be filling up the pipeline with opportunities for my successor," Bredesen said.

The governor said Chinese officials are working to change their economy from one driven primarily by exports to one that also features increased consumer spending and a higher standard of living for Chinese citizens.

Tennessee's governor likened the current 10-day trade mission, which incudes a delegation of business, technology and health care leaders from Tennessee, to one undertaken 30 years ago by former governor (now U.S. Senator) Lamar Alexander to Japan.

Bredesen pointed out that dozens of Japanese companies now have facilities in Tennessee.

In the future, he said, he expects Chinese companies to follow the Japanese lead in locating plants in Tennessee.

Asked during the conference call if Northeast Tennessee had been discussed with his Chinese counterparts, the governor said Economic and Community Development Commissioner Kisber's presentation to the Chinese had dealt with the entire state.

But he noted that the Chinese, who are particularly interested in renewable energy, were already aware of the AGC Flat Glass North America plant in nearby Hawkins County.

Bredesen said the Tennessee trade delegation visited a Chinese research facility that covers 400,000 square-feet and is devoted to development of solar-cell technology.

Solar cells are made of glass and that could represent and opportunity for cooperation with the Chinese, officials said.

Bredesen said he believes the Chinese are poised to become a major force in renewable energy -- particularly solar energy -- despite the fact that the Chinese continue to place coal-fired electric generating plants on line at a rate of one per week.

The Tennessee governor said the Chinese officials with whom the trade delegation had met also were "very aware" of Tennessee Eastman in Kingsport. "Eastman is a name they know," the governor said.

In addition, he said, the Chinese were interested in the expertise the Oak Ridge National Laboratory can bring to bear in areas such as materials science.

Bredesen added that the Chinese officials with whom he had met were also interested in health care, particularly in areas such as hospital management, health insurance and medical devices.

He also said he had found that Chinese officials were particularly interested to see governmental leaders accompanying the Tennessee trade delegation.

In China, he noted, government plays a major role in business.

Bredesen said the fact that he and Kisber accompanied the Tennessee trade delegations may have "opened some doors" for representatives of Tennessee businesses and industries who are taking part in the trade mission.

Bredesen also said he was encouraged to see the variety of Chinese businesses whose representatives had met with the Tennessee trade mission.