JEFFERSON CITY -- Gov. Jay Nixon today defended his decision to put off a trade mission to Taiwan but continued to be vague on whether the $600 million deal to sell agricultural products to that country will be completed.

Last week, after pressure from the Midwest China Hub Commission and the Chinese government, Nixon canceled a planned trip to Taiwan and South Korea. Several state officials and business leaders from Missouri were scheduled to take the trip. Officials from the China Hub commission had received a complaint from the Chinese consulate about the trip because of that country's complicated relationship with Taiwan.

Hub officials were concerned the trip could jeapardize a deal to bring Chinese freight traffic to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

In a news conference on a variety of topics in the Capitol today, Nixon didn't deny that pressure from the China Hub commission led to the cancelation of the trip. Asked of choosing China over Taiwan would jeapardize the future of the agriculture deal, Nixon said, "I don't think so."

Nixon said the $600 million deal with Taiwan is not signed yet and he didn't offer any predictions on when it would be. He said he planned to reschedule the trip at some point.