A selling point for Fuling to put its factory in Lehigh Valley was the region's proximity to the rest of the Eastern seaboard and the Port of Newark, providing easy access to about 30 to 40 percent of the company's US customers.

Fuling had scouted six or seven states before choosing Lehigh Valley, where the development agency worked with the state to produce an incentive package for Fuling.

Cunningham admitted it was "somewhat of a ground-breaking approach" by Fuling to open up a manufacturing operation in the US.

"The company started by manufacturing straws and is now trying to grow that into a profitable plant for Fuling globally," he said.

In China, the firm's leaders have been "vocal advocates" for Lehigh Valley, which Cunningham said is "on the radar" enough with Asia-based manufacturers that it plans to send representatives to China to meet with potential investors.

There are two companies that are looking to invest in the region, he added, but declined to name them.

Cunningham was the first to admit that it will be difficult for the manufacturing sector in the US to produce as much as it used to or for job numbers to be as high as they had been historically.

But Lehigh Valley has a skilled workforce that could be useful for Chinese companies looking to locate in Pennsylvania.

"In China there is movement for the smaller, non-state-owned companies to get plants closer to customer bases overseas because of the demand for labor in China," Cunningham said.

"I think there is converging opportunity, both in manufacturing policy in China and what we have available here," he added.

amyhe@chinadailyusa.com