Business, government and education delegates will visit six cities to promote business with County.

Westchester County Executive Andy Spano will lead an 18-member trade delegation to the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong to foster and establish business, high-technology, educational, cultural and child advocacy ties between Westchester and the world’s largest nation.

The 12-day trade mission will open dialogue, establish several exchanges, and link Westchester and Chinese companies for potential business opportunities.

"In this part of the world, all business is conducted on a personal level. Our trade mission is about increasing Westchester’s economic growth by building personal relationships with local government officials and with the people who run Chinese companies. We are anxious to have the Chinese invest in Westchester, and we want our industries to be able to tap into China’s 1.3 billion customers," Spano said.

"In a global economy and with Westchester’s telecommunications capabilities, doing business in China, once personal relationships are established, could be as easy as doing business on Main Street," Spano added.

The People’s Republic of China offers Westchester businesses an enormous market potential for their import or export products, manufacturing, high-tech information and products, and investment opportunities. The many provinces and municipalities also offer a multitude of educational and cultural exchange opportunities. The goal of the delegation, which consists of business, government and education representatives, is to tap this vast market for both the short- and long-term economic development benefit of Westchester County, Spano noted.

A highlight of the delegation’s visit will be a live, video teleconference on Monday, September 7^th at 9:30 P.M. EDT (9:30 A.M. Tuesday, September 8^th Xiamen time) linking nine mid-sized Westchester businesses with Chinese counterparts for an informal and spontaneous exchange of ideas and initial business opportunities. The video teleconference will be conducted at Pace University Graduate Center’s video teleconferencing center in White Plains. Hosting the teleconference will be County Executive Spano in Xiamen and Pace University Executive Vice-President/Finance & Administration, Leonard C. Sippel, in White Plains.

The delegation will visit and conduct trade meetings in the cities of Shanghai, Xiamen, Wuhan, Jingzhou, Beijing, and Hong Kong with government and business representatives. Spano will also tour the Xiamen High-Tech Zone; visit the Shanghai Foreign Investment District, and attend the China Fair for International Investment and Trade in Xiamen (more details on the trade fair).  Also scheduled are university tours and visits to a children’s performing arts and science and technology center, and an orphanage.

In Jingzhou – Westchester’s "Sister City" – County Executive Spano is expected to sign an agreement of cooperation with the government of Jingzhou. He and Brenda Resnick Spano, the County’s Child-Care Advocate, will visit the Jingzhou orphanage where they will talk with the children and staff. Ms. Resnick Spano has been asked to inscribe words of encouragement and goodwill on the walls within the orphanage, an honor, in accordance with local custom, being bestowed on Ms. Resnick Spano by the orphanage.

One of Ms. Resnick Spano’s goals for the mission is to facilitate formal relations between Westchester Family Services and the government agency in Beijing that approves all foreign adoptions. Ms. Resnick Spano will meet with the Director of Documents to expedite Westchester Family Services’ application to receive official status allowing it to directly handle the adoption of Chinese children.

On the education front, Vice Presidents John F. M. Flynn and Margaret R. Gotti, delegation representatives from Westchester Community College and Pace University, respectively, are expected to initiate and expand exchange programs with the universities of Shanghai, Beijing, Jingzhou and Xiamen, and the City University of Hong Kong. Pace University will reaffirm its commitment to the "Sister City" of Jingzhou, by providing one full time undergraduate scholarship to a fully qualified student from that city. Westchester Community College will explore opportunities for promoting cooperation between itself and Xiamen University in the areas of international academic, student and faculty exchanges.

"In Westchester County, education is also big business," noted County Executive Spano.

The expenses for the entire delegation are being paid for through private funds with the exception of Dr. Norman J. Jacknis, Westchester County’s Chief Information Officer, whose expenses are being paid for by Westchester County. Dr. Jacknis’ participation in the trade mission will include serving as the County’s link to the Chinese high tech community, providing the expertise for the September 7^th video teleconference, establishing means for on-going electronic communication between Westchester businesses, and those in China, and, providing a daily stream of text and image transmissions of the trade mission’s accomplishments to Westchester. The Jingzhou Municipal Government is bearing all costs for the County Executive, Ms. Resnick Spano, and Parks Commissioner Salvatore DeSantis.