THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 1, 1994 TAG: 9412010006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Last week you published an editorial that was disturbingly negative by your criticism of our recent trade mission to China (as was a subsequent column by Bill Reed in the Beacon). As is the case with perhaps most city councils across the country, the Virginia Beach City Council places economic development at the top of its priority list - the kind of economic development that generates jobs and tax revenue which will benefit the entire region.
My purpose in traveling to China was to assist a Chinese company, Citiview International, in its efforts to convince Chinese government officials and select business executives to support a proposed office/warehouse project in Virginia Beach. The proposed project is expected to create 250-300 jobs and will bring more than $10 million in new capital investment to Virginia Beach. We also discussed the possibility of Chinese investment in the development of a high-quality hotel/convention center at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. A hotel built by the Chinese would result in increased tourism from China.
We met with more than 75 business executives who have interest in expanding to Virginia Beach, and with some 50 government officials who are encouraging Chinese businesses to expand to the United States. This type of contact is critical to successfully selling our community. For example, the typical Chinese business leaders we met were familiar with only New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Contacts were also critical in order to establish friendships. In the Chinese culture, friendships are established before business can be conducted.
We also sought economic opportunities in the Far East for Virginia Beach industries. China has more than one-quarter of the world's population, and Chinese incomes are rapidly increasing. China's demand for imported products is expanding. As a result of our efforts, several Chinese government officials and business executives will be visiting Virginia Beach this month. There is the distinct possibility of scheduling a trade fair here sometime in 1995.
Information you provided your readers suggested an attempt on our part to keep details of the trip a secret. The fact is, a news release was distributed to all local media, and a letter describing the mission was sent to City Council members prior to the trip.
We are working with the private sector to help it sell Virginia Beach as a solid and wise investment opportunity - investments by the private sector that will create jobs and further enhance economic stability in our community.
The private sector (in this case, Citiview International) feels so strongly about the vitality of our area that it is willing to fully fund the cost of this trade mission.
We are very pleased about the trip and the impact it will have on our job-creation and capital-investment goals for Virginia Beach and this region, and we didn't have to spend one penny of the taxpayers' dollar for the benefit we will receive from this initiative.
MEYERA E. OBERNDORF, mayor
Virginia Beach, Nov. 29, 1994 by CNB