Since taking office in 2015, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has visited China every year to nurture his state's relationship with China and entice Chinese investors. The efforts have paid off: In recent years, Arkansas has landed five investment projects from China, totaling more than $2 billion with the potential for 1,600 jobs. Mike Preston, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), accompanied the governor on each of his three trips. In Suzhou, Preston and his team toured Tianyuan Garments whose Arkansas plant is expected to go into production this year. The state of Arkansas wants to make sure that visas will be issued so the Chinese companies can send workers over to Arkansas to train US workers.