According to China’s official media, the Chinese trade delegation on Monday signed an agreement worth US$600 million with unnamed US companies in Houston. The Chinese government thus launched a four-day US trade delegation tour.

The agreements were reached the day before Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in the United States. The visit was regarded as the most important U.S.-China summit since Deng Xiaoping’s visit to Washington for 30 years.

The main contents of the six trade cooperation agreements signed by the Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Chao led by a business delegation in Houston are: Mainland China imports cotton from Texas; Texas imports art ceramic products from Jiangxi Province in mainland China; Shanghai General Motors Corporation Imported components from General Motors Corporation of the United States; Zhejiang Power Technology Corporation and the North American Semiconductor Technology Association of California jointly developed high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells and photovoltaic power generation technologies.

Houston’s business development agency, the Houston Houston Partnership, said that Wang’s Houston delegation includes 120 government officials and business officials.

The delegation includes the largest companies and administrative officials from China's trade, healthcare, biotechnology, real estate, manufacturing, banking and education sectors.

This week, Chinese officials and business representatives will hold similar events in Washington, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, North Carolina, Frankfurt, and Kentucky.

The value of commercial transactions announced may be as high as billions of dollars, but U.S. industry officials are hesitant to estimate the dollar amount.

US President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao are expected to discuss a wide range of issues in Washington, including the stability of the Korean peninsula and the looming tension caused by the expanding trade deficit.

This year China’s trade deficit with the United States is expected to reach US$270 billion. The two countries blame each other for causing international trade problems.