Welcome to the blog of the trade mission trip to China from Northwest Indiana as governmental , business & educational leaders will visit 3 cities to complete our oversea contacts as mentioned in the article below by Jon Siegal/Post Tribune. Jon’s article is an excellent explanation of the trade mission from Northwest as we continue to work towards increased economic development for our region. Also included in the visit will be meetings with Liaoning University as Ivy Tech Community College will focusing on a Memorandum of Understanding with the university. I’m representing Ivy Tech Community College and will be posting daily updates from the 3 cities of Beijing, Shenyang & Fuxin. I will focus on some history and cultural information for each city.
Thanks, Bill Thon- Ivy Tech Community College/Northwest -Executive Director of Workforce and Economic Development.
‘A new Chinatown’
May 5, 2008
By Jon Seidel Post-Tribune staff writer
GARY — Next week’s trip to China by a City Hall delegation could mean drastic, long-term changes for the region’s largest city if it is successful.
The privately funded trip is being organized by Chicago-based Eureka Group. Vice president Jenny Guosaid she wants to bring back Chinese business owners and convince them to invest in Gary.
“What we want to build is a new Chinatown,” Guo said.
Joel Rodriguez, a special assistant to Mayor Rudy Clay, said word of the trip is generating a buzz among regional businesses. The travelers are 13 business leaders and eight government officials, including Clay’s wife, Christine Clay.
When the delegation returns, Rodriguez said, the city hopes to move forward on a new assembly and logistics center near Gary/Chicago International Airport.
“I think there’s a little bit over 300 acres of developable land that we are lookingat in terms of creating this foreign trade zone synergy,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said he, like Guo, is also looking for businesses to invest in Gary. He points out that Chicago’s Chinatown area has become too congested.
“They can’t move anywhere,” Rodriguez said. “They’re looking at Gary as the second Chinatown.”
Clay’s trip to China was announced in November, while the mayor was hosting a delegation of Chinese students.
Ross Harano, chief operating officer of the Eureka Group, said at the time that Gary offers an alternative to distribution centers in other parts of the United States with its access to major highways, rail lines and Lake Michigan.
The delegation from Gary is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on May 11. While it is there, its members are expected to meet with the vice mayor and tour a Russian trade center.
Later, it will make stops in Shenyang and Fuxin, meeting with the cities’ mayors and the vice governor of the Liaoning Province.
In each city, Clay is scheduled to give a presentation titled, “Doing Business With Gary.” Clay is also expected to sign a “Sister Cities” agreement with the mayor of Fuxin.
The visit will end May 18, when the delegation returns to O’Hare International Airport.
Preparations are under way in Beijing for this summer’s Olympics. Some are protesting those games because of China’s human rights record.
Ninghua Wang, a visiting assistant professor at DePaul University’s Department of Modern Languages in Chicago, said the delegation likely won’t have any problems during the visit. “Believe me that the local government will guarantee the safety of their distinguished guests,” Wang said in an e-mail, “and the delegation will enjoy the hospitality of the hosts.”
Rodriguez and Haranohave said they also want to help the private business leaders build their own overseas contacts during the visit.
Day 1 – Saturday, May 10th
12:43 PM Departure – Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport
United Airlines – Flight 851
Sunday, May 11th (Travelers flying westbound will lose one day
crossing the International Date Line)- as this is 7000 miles to Beijing -we’ll be using the “great circle route” as we fly to Beijing-
3:00 PM Arrival – Beijing International Airport
Check into Hotel Days Hotel & Suites Beijing
27 Hua Wei Li
Chao Yang District
Beijing 100021
Information about Beijing, China –
Beijing City
KingWu was the first to declare Beijing the capital city in 1057 BC. Subsequently, the city has gone by the names of Ji, Zhongdu, Dadu, and finally Beijing when the Ming Dynasty Emperor ChengZuchose the name in 1421. Before 1949, Beijingwas known as Pekingby the Western world. After 1949, the city’s name returned to Beijing, as it is known today.BeijingCity is an independently administered municipal district. She is situated in the northeastern part of China at an elevation of 43.5m above sea level. The climate in Beijingis of the continental type, withcold and dry winters and hot summers. January is the coldest month (-4 Celsius), while July the warmest (26 Celsius).
Beijing has a whole area of 16808 sq km (about 6500 sq mi), stretching 160 kilometres from east to west and over 180 kilometres north to south. She has 18 districts and counties with Dongcheng, Xicheng, Xuanwu, Chongwen, Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai and Shijingshan in the surburbs and Fangshan, Mengtougou, Changping, Tongxian, Shunyi, Daxing, Huairou, Miyun, Pinggu and Yianqingin the outer suburbs. Population in Beijing is about 12 million.
Popular tourist information -
Great Wall of China (photo)
the symbol of ancient Chinese civilisation. It has a history of more than 2000 years. It starts at Jianyuguan Pass in the west and ends at Shanhaiguan Pass in the east, stretching over 6,350 km and is the only man-made object visible from the moon. The Badaling section, 75km northof Beijing, is the most representative.
(Gugong, Forbidden City) (map)
built from 1406-1420, the former residence of the Ming and Qing Dynasty (1406 – 1420) 24 emperors, which its name denotes the fact that only the royal family, ministers and tribute-bearingambassador were allowed inside. The palace is located in the center of Beijing, which sprawls over a total area of more than 700,000 square metres. The various buildings consists of more than 9,000 rooms and houses 1.05 million relics
