RYE BROOK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL), a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues, today announced that it has been selected to participate in the U.S. Presidential Trade Mission to the People’s Republic of China, taking place April 12 – 17, 2015. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Deputy Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall will lead this Smart Cities – Smart Growth Business Development Mission, accompanied by representatives from 25 companies.
The trade mission will include visits to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and is intended to help U.S. companies launch or increase their business operations in China for sustainable products and services, such as clean air and water technologies, smart buildings, green data centers, energy efficient technologies, waste treatment technologies, smart grid and green transportation. State media in China recently reported that the government intends to commit 2 trillion yuan, or $330 billion, on an action plan to combat pollution of its increasingly scarce water resources.
“Xylem has a long history of operating in China and, with a strong local presence, we understand the complexity and urgency of its water challenges,” said Patrick Decker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xylem. “We are very encouraged by the Chinese government’s recent commitment to improve water quality through significant investments in sustainable solutions such as wastewater treatment, recycling and membrane treatment technology. On this mission, we look forward to forging new partnerships and strengthening existing relationships with various government entities, across business sectors, and among NGOs and academia. We will continue to invest our time and resources in China to accelerate research and partner with local communities to solve their water challenges.”
Chris McIntire, Xylem Senior Vice President and President, Analytics and Treatment and Shuping Lu, President of Xylem China, will represent Xylem on this mission.
“This trade mission is an opportunity to facilitate greater cooperation between the governments and private sectors in the United States and China,” said Secretary Pritzker. “We know that China has energy needs that our firms have the goods, services and expertise to address. Through this mission, we hope to forge deeper ties that will strengthen the bilateral relationship between the world’s two largest economies.”
“U.S. businesses have the products, services and technological expertise needed to develop and deploy innovative technologies for future smart cities. These are some of the clean energy technologies that will help build China’s low-carbon economy and solve our global climate challenges,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. “The companies selected today are key reminders that through the world-class innovation of U.S. companies, we can decrease emissions while creating economic opportunities.”
About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology provider, enabling customers to transport, treat, test and efficiently use water in public utility, residential and commercial building services, industrial and agricultural settings. The company does business in more than 150 countries through a number of market-leading product brands, and its people bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on finding local solutions to the world’s most challenging water and wastewater problems. Xylem is headquartered in Rye Brook, New York with 2014 revenues of $3.9 billion and more than 12,500 employees worldwide. Xylem was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the last three years for advancing sustainable business practices and solutions worldwide.
The name Xylem is derived from classical Greek and is the tissue that transports water in plants, highlighting the engineering efficiency of our water-centric business by linking it with the best water transportation of all -- that which occurs in nature. For more information, please visit us at www.xylem.com.