China trip could open doors for business

The itinerary sounds exciting: Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou and

Shanghai in China. But a trip being taken now by business leaders

from Newport Beach is about far more than sightseeing.

For the past week, 130 business people from Newport Beach have

been in the Communist country, working on ways to develop business

relationships that can increase trade between the city and China.

They had plans to meet with Beijing’s deputy mayor, Chinese business

leaders and several high-ranking Chinese government officials,

including members of the country’s Administration of Foreign Trade

and Economic Corporation.

The trip, pitched by Newport Coast businessman Leo Liu and

sponsored by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, is an example of

the kind of aggressive efforts that make businesses succeed. Making

connections early with business people there -- the country is

slowly, and most hope surely, opening itself to more trade with

Western nations -- would appear to be a smart, though not sure, way

of getting in the door early.

China may at first not seem like a natural business partner for

Newport Beach. But Newport’s location on the West Coast makes any

Asian country a natural market and partner for a variety of business

deals. China should be no exception (and other countries also deserve

similar missions).

Of course, there is debate about how and whether America -- via

its citizens and its businesses -- should be engaging China. In the

simplified version, one side argues that introducing American

culture, including its ideals and principles, will cajole China

toward democracy. The other says that only by keeping China isolated

will it be forced eventually to abandon its Marxist system.

While that debate is continuing, it is clearly in Newport Beach’s

best interest to expand its market and find new places from which to

draw visitors.

It will be interesting to hear what the delegation has to report

upon its return.