Kentucky enjoys robust two-way business relationships with China.  It has attracted significant investments from China in recent years thanks to the state’s focus on building relationships with Chinese partners. Chinese-owned, or partially owned companies, such as Haier/GE Appliances and Lexmark, employed over 13,000 Kentuckians in 2019. Yum! Brands Inc., headquartered in Kentucky, has been very successful expanding its KFC restaurant chains in China.  On the education front, University of Kentucky signed an inter-university exchange agreement with Jilin University in 2011. Since then, the partnership has grown to 6 dual-university degree programs from bachelors degrees to PhD’s.