Gov. Gary Locke took off for a weeklong trade mission to China Saturday, leading a 70-member delegation from several dozen businesses and organizations, including Microsoft and Boeing.

Locke, whose parents were born and raised in China, said Washington state could greatly benefit from trade with the country, which has an emerging worldwide market for technology, construction, medicine and many other industries.

The two-way trade mission will also focus on tourism and agricultural opportunities.

“We are confident that we will return with new opportunities for Washington businesses and farmers, which will translate into more jobs for the citizens of our state,” Locke said in a statement last month.