West Virginia first lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin met officials from China’s Shanxi Province and the international division of the West Virginia Development office. They toured the Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College's mine training facilities and the college's Academy for Mine Training and Energy Technologies.

Tomblin, on behalf of the institution, also played host at the governor’s mansion for the seven-member group’s signing of an agreement for the two-day September training event.

“This training agreement is part of ongoing efforts to build and maintain trade relations between West Virginia and China,” she said, adding the managers would return to the US at that time to participate.

“One of the goals of this program is to raise awareness of mine rescue safety during disaster operations. We hope that China and other countries will continue to send mining officials for such training.”