By Russell Flannery
One of China’s top diplomats in the U.S. visited Vermont last week to meet state leaders for discussions about economics and other areas of interest, China’s consulate in New York said in an announcement today.
Chen Li, the consul general in New York, meet with Lieutenant Governor John Rodgers and Montpelier Mayor Jack McCullough on June 26, the announcement said.
“They exchanged views on economic relations and other issues of mutual interest,” according to the state statement. “During his visit to Vermont, Chen Li also visited local enterprises.” The statement didn’t say which companies Chen visited.
Chen’s visit comes amid trade and geopolitical differences between the two countries. China nevertheless ranks as the world’s No. 2 economy and boasts the world’s second-largest population. China’s GDP grew by 5.4% in the first quarter of 2025 from a year earlier; by contrast, the U.S. economy shrank 0.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Notable Vermont companies doing business in China include snowboard maker Burton. China’s winter sports industry has boomed following its hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The Chinese Consulate in New York oversees the country’s day-to-day affairs in 10 north and northeastern states: New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
Chen started his U.S. posting last October. He was previously China’s ambassador to Finland.
The author, a former long-time editor at Forbes, graduated from Mt. St. Joseph in Rutland and lives in Rutland.