When leaders of The Hormel Institute and a Chinese province work together, there’s nothing they can’t accomplish when it comes to fighting cancer.

That was the message repeated several times by various American and Chinese dignitaries Tuesday afternoon when a delegation of about a dozen people from Henan visited the Institute about two years after the Institute announced a partnership with the Chinese province.

“When we work together and when we collaborate together, there’s nothing we can’t solve,” said 1st District U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, DFL-Mankato.

Walz was just one of the local leaders to greet the Chinese delegation Tuesday, and he noted he has a deep respect for Chinese culture, having taught high school in China for two years.

Walz spoke about a bright future ahead for the partnership.

“Someday when they write the history of how humanity solved cancer, it will be written through Henan Province and through Austin, Minnesota,” Walz said.

Henan is one of China’s largest provinces at 106.1 million people, and it’s considered the breadbasket of China, with major productions of wheat and corn, according to Wang Yanling, the vice governor of the Henan Province.

Yanling said the province is striving to improve its economy and medical care system, so the partnership — first announced Oct. 10, 2012 — will be an important international collaboration for improving the health sector.

“By this visit, we hope that we can further our cooperation between the two sides,” Yanling said through a translator.

Institute Executive Director Dr. Zigang Dong said the partnership will make for a robust exchange of ideas and research. Since 2012, many postdoctoral students have come to work at the Institute, and many more are likely on the way.

“Many students will come here and visit us,” Dong said. “We’ll make Austin very international.”

Hai Zu, from the office of the consul general of Chicago, noted Henan has a high rate of cancer and tumor patients, but added the Henan-Institute partnership holds much promise against the common enemy of cancer.

“When U.S. and China work together, there’s nothing we can’t overcome,” he said through a translator.

In Chicago, Zu said, he could work as a bridge for the cooperation.

Hormel Foundation Chairman Gary Ray noted cancer is a world problem and Austin will play a key role in future research.

“That is why we love the relationship that we’re starting to build with you from China,” he said.

With the Institute and Mayo Clinic in southern Minnesota, Ray sees the region as a cancer-fighting hub.

“We think with the work that Dr. Dong and his people are doing here at the Institute that we can be the southern corridor of the United States here in Minnesota for cancer research throughout the world,” Ray said.

The delegation visited the Mayo Clinic earlier Tuesday and was slated to visit the University of Minnesota on Wednesday.

Expansion could begin Saturday

The Institute held a ceremonial groundbreaking in May for a $28.5-million expansion to add 20 laboratories and about 120 new jobs, growing the Institute to 250 employees. Now, construction work on the project could begin as soon as Saturday, Institute officials said Tuesday.

Dong was pleased to see construction kicking off soon.

“Everyone here is very excited,” he said.

To Ray, the expansion will mean that some of the best researchers in the world will be stationed in Austin, along with the renowned scientists already working at the Institute.

“We’re extremely excited about what the future of the Hormel Institute means, not only to the Institute, but also to the city of Austin and also to the Hormel Foundation,” Ray said.

The Institute plans to also build a $3-million lecture hall to seat about 250 people for events. Ray said that could be key for future collaborations, like the one with Henan Province.

“We look to have some of the world’s largest conferences here on cancer research right here in Austin,” Ray said.

State Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, described the Institute expansion, with its $13.5 million from the state, as a key public-private partnership, adding the Institute is a key asset to the state.

“We hope to continue to see the collaborations taking place here today moving forward,” Sparks said. “The fruits of all your work will be felt worldwide.”

Mayor Tom Stiehm said the community takes great pride in the Institute. He pitched the idea of Austin finding a sister city in Henan and said he hoped to see Austin children writing to pen pals in Henan to help learn about the culture.

To read the Oct. 10, 2012, story about the announcement of the partnership with the Chinese delegation, click here.