SHANGHAI -- Governor Brian Sandoval’s Trade Mission to the People’s Republic of China today announced two business agreements for companies from both Northern and Southern Nevada as well as a collaborative research agreement for the Desert Research Institute (DRI).

In a joint venture initially valued at $500,000, Las Vegas-based Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects signed a two-year contract with Shenzhen Investment Holdings Company for the design of the Shenzhen Bay Technology and Ecological City, a business campus in the Chinese industrial mega-center near Hong Kong. Additionally, under the terms of a distribution agreement, Reno-based confectioner Kimmie Candy is entering the Chinese candy market for the first time.

Leaders from both companies are part of the Nevada business delegation for the trade mission, which was organized by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

“These agreements are notable both because of the breadth of engagement we are beginning to see in our economic development efforts with China and because they will help create jobs in Nevada,” Governor Sandoval said. “The export dollars brought into our state by deals such as these are the bricks that strengthen our economy as we continue to build a diversified economy.”

Dr. Stephan Wells, president of DRI, also signed a memorandum of understanding Friday with Chinese Academy of Science’s Institute of Earth Environment (IEECAS) to collaborate on a broad range of atmospheric research.

The memorandum of understanding between DRI and IEECAS builds on the original agreement signed in 1996 with Nankai University in Tiajian, China. The new agreement calls for collaboration on a broad range of research, including development and application of ambient air quality mechanisms; methods for the measurement of organic carbon and elemental carbon; instrument development; aerosol measurements and modeling; and development and application of air quality models.