Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Thursday delivered his annual State of the State speech to a joint session of the California Legislature.

In the speech Gov. Brown mentioned the job creation accomplishments of the Governor’s Office for Business and Economic Development as well as outlining some of the office’s upcoming initiatives. These included a focus on regulatory reform and an upcoming trade mission to China in April.

“California lost 1.3 million jobs in the great Recession but we are coming back at a faster pace than the national average,” said Governor Brown. “The new Office of Business and Economic Development – GO-Biz – directly assisted more than 5,000 companies this past year.”

Of specific note in the governor’s jobs highlights was Samsung Semiconductor, an industry leader in high tech manufacturing.

Gov. Brown highlighted GO-Biz’s efforts in persuading Samsung to locate a research and development facility in San Jose that will employ at least 2,500 people in high skill, high wage jobs.

Also mentioned was Internet retailer Amazon and the three new California distribution centers in Patterson, San Bernardino and Tracy. The centers will generate over 1,000 new jobs across the state.

The governor also emphasized a need streamline regulatory procedures, including the California Environmental Quality Act as well as a need to change both the Enterprise Zone Program and the Jobs Hiring Credit which he referenced as not working.

“Our approach needs to be based more on consistent standards that provide greater certainty and cut needless delays,” said Brown.

Those elements were part of a larger theme of fiscal discipline by Gov. Brown who criticized California’s cycles of “stop and go, boom and bust” budgeting and stressed that success for the state meant “living within our means and not spending what we don’t have.” It was a message welcomed by GO-Biz Director Kish Rajan.

“The governor’s speech today says exactly why business continues to grow here in California” said Rajan. “Continuing our state’s fiscal discipline adds to our state’s long term financial stability and smart reforms of outdated regulations will give all businesses additional tools to accelerate their growth in the Golden State.”

The governor also promoted his upcoming trip to Shanghai to encourage trade with the Chinese economy and as well as to open the new GO-Biz trade office.

“California’s exports are booming and our place in the world economy has never been stronger,” said Gov. Brown. “This year we will take another step to strengthen the ties between the world’s second and ninth largest economies. In April, I will lead a trade and investment mission to China with help from the Bay Area Council and officially open California’s new trade and investment office in Shanghai.”

The new trade and investment office in Shanghai is a public-private partnership between the Bay Area Council and GO-Biz. It is funded through private sources, not taxpayer dollars, and represents the first foreign trade office for California in almost a decade.

“Greater China has the potential – and the drive – to become our largest trading partner and source of new foreign direct investment over the next 10 years,” said Paul Oliva, deputy director for international affairs and business development at GO-Biz. “It’s already growing toward a two-way trade relationship of $200 billion per year, and the Asia Society estimates we could win $50 billion or more in new investment. We are focused on growing this opportunity for businesses large and small across California.”

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as California’s single point of contact for economic development and job creation efforts.

GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more.

For more information visit: www.business.ca.gov .