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Westchester delegation returns from 9-day trade mission to China Nov. 2, 2006 A Westchester County-led delegation of local environmental engineering and IT companies is home after a 9-day trade mission to China aimed at promoting international cooperation and Westchester’s reputation as an attractive place for investment. “We continue to lay the groundwork for successful collaboration,” said Norman Jacknis, the county’s chief information officer who has participated in all five of the county’s trade missions to China since 1998, the year County Executive Andy Spano first took office. “The county continues to build on past efforts in the region and open doors for local firms interested in doing business with the world’s fastest growing economy.” Also representing Westchester County in China were Sal Carrera, Director of Westchester County’s Office of Economic Development & Real Estate, and Daisy Yau, Director of Asian American Affairs & Business Development.
China’s rapid economic growth has generated new environmental concerns and increased the country’s demand for engineering firms that can tackle issues ranging from air and water quality protection to hazardous waste management. In response to this, many of the trade mission’s participants were recruited from Westchester’s highly-regarded environmental engineering community. These firms, including Malcolm Pirnie Inc, Lyn Staar Engineering, P.C, and Stearns & Wheler, LLC, were able to leverage their expertise and Westchester’s reputation as a center for innovation and environmental know-how to secure meetings with top officials in Beijing from the China Association of Environmental Protection Industry (CAEPI) and the Environmental Bureau of the Chinese Ministry of Science & Technology. As a next step, the firms have been asked to prepare statements of capabilities to facilitate future collaboration. Other highlights from the capital city included a visit to the Beijing Haidian District, the "Silicon Valley" of China, and meetings with the Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau. In addition, the delegation visited the world famous Zhongguancun Haidian Science and Technology Park and met with its director to discuss synergies between Westchester-based IT companies and those at the high-tech park. A county proposal for the development of a global technology center in Westchester was also on the agenda and received with great enthusiasm by Chinese counterparts. The delegation wrapped up its mission in east China’s Shandong Province, home to some of the most well-known brand names in China, including Tsingtao Beer and Haier. Prior to leaving for China, delegation members attended an investment conference hosted by Shandong to get a crash course on the region’s business and investment climate. Delegation members built on this introduction by connecting personally with business and government leaders while in Jinan, the capital city, and touring additional technology parks and important business sites throughout the region. A success which came at the tail end of the trip was the signing of cooperative agreements between Westchester County and the Pudong New Area Government of Shanghai as well as with the Shanghai Pudong Productivity Center (SPPC). Both agreements were signed in a spirit of goodwill to encourage mutual economic cooperation as well as to solidify the county’s standing in the Shanghai region. Now back in Westchester, delegation members will use the positive momentum from the trip to make more concrete proposals for collaboration with Chinese counterparts. The county looks forward to tracking progress and plans on hosting several global videoconferences as part of the follow-up effort.
Past China Missions:
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