Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Thursday that he will be traveling to China in September to participate in the World Economic Summit in Tianjin.

It’s the summer version of the summit he attended in Davos, Switzerland in January. But unlike last time when the Uconn Foundation picked up his travel costs, taxpayers will be footing the $20,000 travel bill for both Malloy and Economic and Community Development Director Catherine Smith to attend.

Like last time though, Malloy did receive an invitation, so he won’t have to pay the hefty $10,000 admission price to rub elbows with global entrepreneurs and officials from 90 countries.

Malloy made the announcement Thursday afternoon while meeting with a delegation from Guangdong Province. The group of more than 50 officials were completing a leadership conference run by the Yale School of Management at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection offices in Hartford.

In a meeting with a small group of dignitaries Malloy talked about the size of their Province and how with 104 million people it’s about 29 times the size of Connecticut.

“I’m convinced China is only beginning to recognize its economic power in the world,” Malloy told them. “No doubt your province will be at the forefront.”

Speaking through a translator, Li Yiwei, secretary for the CPC Foshan municipal committee, said there are many entrepreneurs in his city who would love to come to the United States and share their innovations, but are shy.

He asked Malloy if he would come talk to them while he’s in China and convince them not to be so afraid.

Malloy is trying to schedule a trip to the Guangdong Province during his trip to the World Economic Summit which will be held in Tianjin. Tianjin borders Hebei Province. Malloy also plans to make a visit to Jinan in the Shandong Province and Beijing. He will be traveling with Smith, who was his companion in Davos in January.

“I want to use this opportunity to do two things: convince Chinese companies that Connecticut is a great place to establish a presence in the United States, and let the Chinese know that Connecticut-based companies are ready and willing to do business with them too,” Malloy said.

The governor will travel to China Sept. 8-16.

The summit according to its website will “highlight the role that new and fast-emerging multinational companies play in enabling and driving sustainability in a global business landscape that has been fundamentally changed by the economic crisis.”

This will be Malloy’s second trip to China. As mayor of Stamford, Malloy traveled there in 2002.

It will be the first time a Connecticut governor has traveled to China since former Gov. Lowell P. Weicker.