Business Deals May Spur Trade Mission to Xi'an

Published on Tuesday, August 21, 2001 BY Conan Knoll / STAFF WRITER

Fremont, California, August 21, 2001 - City officials may make Xi'an, China, a stop during trade missions, after business owners from there signed about $40 million in trade contracts with area companies.

"The city of Fremont is planning a trade mission next year to go to Taiwan, Beijing and Shanghai. Because of this trade mission that just happened, it's possible that we may consider going to that city as well," Councilmember Steve Cho said.

Business owners and government officials from Xi'an -- once a point on the ancient Silk Road trade route between east and west -- stopped in Fremont last week on a four-city tour to forge ties with high-tech companies.

The 60-member delegation composed of Xi'an government officials and business owners signed trade contracts with eight Silicon Valley companies for goods and services ranging from telecommunications to pay toilets, according to Jessica Pan, a spokeswoman for CHINAnUSA.com, the Fremont company that organized the trade symposium with Xi'an at the Fremont Marriott.

Such trade missions are beneficial for area businesses because China is a large business market and represents good trade opportunities, Pan said.

"First of all, China is one of the three largest markets in the world and with China's looming entry into the (World Trade Organization) and the Olympic games there, there are tremendous opportunities," she said.

The city has worked to build economic ties with Asia. In March, city officials went on a two-week trade mission with stops in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan.

The Chinese central government is trying to build up the western region of China, where Xi'an is the largest city. Xi'an is strong in mechanical engineering and is looking to grow into a strong center for information technology by working with U.S. companies, Pan said.

The Chinese city is trying to negotiate sister city status with Fremont and saw the city as a strategic location to reach out to high-tech companies, Pan said.

"They think it is a core city for contacts in the Silicon Valley," Pan said.

The trade symposium was part economic forum and part trade show, with Xi'an business owners displaying products including housewares, pharmaceuticals and information technology, Pan said.

Local officials were able to meet key government and business people from Xi'an. The delegation included 40 business representatives and 10 government officials including Zhang Longhu, the assistant to Xi'an's mayor and Wang Yi, the vice president of its municipal bureau of foreign trade and economic cooperation.

The Chinese group is taking a four-city tour of the United States with stops in Fremont, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., in hopes of promoting high-tech business partnerships. But Fremont and Los Angeles are the only trade stops, Pan said.

"The central government in China has decided they want to promote Xi'an, and the area around Xi'an ... as the new high-tech area of the country," said Steve Concannon, Fremont economic development coordinator.

Xi'an is home to 6.7 million people. The Chinese concept of a city is similar to a U.S. county and Xi'an, Cho said.

Xi'an is also steeped in history. It was the capital city for 12 Chinese dynasties and is home of the famous terra-cotta warriors.

News Source: Conan Knoll covers the city of Fremont for The Argus. He can be reached at (510) 353-7026 or cknoll@angnwespapers.com.

About CHINAnUSA.com

CHINAnUSA.com, the leader in facilitating an “evolving” international trade community with integrated online and offline solutions, was founded in June 1999 under AskE Media, Inc. Headquartered in Fremont, California, the heart of Silicon Valley, and with branch offices in Shanghai and Suzhou, China, the company mission focuses on "Connecting the supply and demand between China and USA." The company’s a complete suite of cross-border trade solutions—Marketing Solution, E-Commerce Solution, Trading Solution, and Biz-Travel Solution—are tailor-made for businesses to drive revenue with maximum efficiency and lower costs. In addition, CHINAnUSA.com commits to bringing buyers and sellers together, domestically and internationally, to achieve significant reductions in the burdens and costs associated with the complexities in international trade. For more information on CHINAnUSA.com and its products and services, please visit www.CHINAnUSA.com.