City Says YES to Beijing Delegation

Monday, November 05, 2007 08:06 PM

BC Canada Place architectural drawing

The City of Prince George will send a trade delegation to the BC.- Canada Pavilion that will be at the Beijing Olympic games in the summer of 2008.

Initiatives Prince George made the pitch for the trade mission saying it will accomplish several things:

Promote Prince George’s trade, investment, business and education opportunities along the Northern Corridor;
Develop strategic regional corridor partnerships;
Leverage IPG investments in marketing with Province of BC’s and Government of Canada’s investments in the BC/Canada Pavilion before the 2008 Summer Olympics/Paralympics in Beijing, China; and,
Advance our city’s ability to form long term cultural connections with the Asia Pacific.

But those positives don’t come without a price, and the City would have to agree to allocate a budget of $5,000 per delegate.

"The chinese willnot do business with someone they don't have a relationship with, so you make not come home with a deal signed, but you will come home with a relationship" says Wendy Rockafella of IPG, "This will allow us to get a look at the marketplace and make connections with other communities"

"The focus is on small to medium sized enterprises" says Export P.G.'s Kathy Scouten.

As was the case when a delegation went to Torino, Prince George will host a reception. Mayor Colin Kinsley says his contacts in Beijing have already offered support in translation, cars, hotels and tours and making sure the right people are at that reception.

The mission is set for July 4th to 11th. The cost of the mission will be part of the 2008 budget discussions.

Previous Story - Next Story

Email |

Print |

Facebook |

Twitter |

Digg |

Del.icio.us

Posted on Monday, November 05, 2007 08:06 PM in News by 250 News

Return to Home

Comments

Posted by: camoose on November 5 2007 9:07 PM

Another Olympic trip. What a surprise. On the taxpayers dime again also. All these contracts that the delegation will make in China will just have to get in line behind all those deals we got from the Torino junket. Some things just never seem to change. Will this expense come from the pothole fund? Definitely time for changes at city hall and to scrap initiatives PG for all the good they've done.

Posted by: owl on November 5 2007 11:33 PM

Can we see the report on the Torino visit? Are there any tangible results which have given the city access to opportunities which are about to bear fruit that would not otherwise have happened?

As a result of the Torino visit, what was learned which may have resulted in changes to this mission? What order are the missionaries coming from? Oblates? Dominicans? Jesuits?

;-)

Posted by: acrider54 on November 6 2007 5:58 AM

Another paid holiday by the poor taxpayer

Posted by: travism on November 6 2007 7:39 AM

The City of Prince George is not a trade organization. Stop wasting my money. Go fix the pot holes by the Simon Fraser Lodge instead. That is what my tax dollars are supposed to be used for.

For once I agree with Owl, what was accomplished with the Torino trip. One maybe two teams thinking of training here. Stop lying to us and at least say thank you for the drunken Eurpoean Vacation.

Posted by: metalman on November 6 2007 8:56 AM

Waste of money, waste of time.
"Initiatives Prince George"
"Trade Delegation"
"Trade Junket"
What a load of manure.
These people actually believe their own b.s. that is the problem. They really think they are making a difference, while civic issues go unoticed. It is the same at all levels of government, they listen to an expert who tells them we have to cultivate international relationships.
All this wisdom floating around "the Chinese won't do business with us unless we develop a relationship with them. BULL.
They are a third world country, fast becoming a capitalist economy, why are they even interested in us? (if anyone is) Well the reason they would be interested is because they want to sell us more cheap crap. That is their reason for being; to sell manufactured goods. That's all. Not because they like us, "oh, we like Canada"
What is this garbage: "long term cultural connections with the asia pacific" It is simple, we have trees, rocks and water, they have poorly manufactured goods made by slaves, which they can sell for next to nothing (and Walmart rules the world) They would not even talk to a Canadian if we did not have something they need. Politicians get to travel the world "cementing relationships" and kid themselves that they are serving us lowly taxpayers. Did any one here ever get invited on a "trade junket" as a taxpayer, maybe the politicos should do that, it might make what they little they do seem more on the up and up.
metalman.

Posted by: RRrabbitt on November 6 2007 11:08 AM

Well I have to agree with Owl on this one too... the only "missionary" thing about this trip will be the "position" the taxpayers will be in...

Oh... hey... look at the neat design in the ceiling tiles....

:-)

Posted by: diplomat on November 6 2007 11:14 AM

"They would not even talk to a Canadian if we did not have something they need."

We have the raw materials that they need and the need increases with every day that goes by!

We can't sell them any manufactured goods because they do all the manufacturing in their own country because there are still a few hundred million more Chinese who need proper jobs!

It is useless to go on these junkets except for the globe trotting adventure!

Please fix our potholes first, especially the ones that were never fixed properly this year!

Posted by: Andyfreeze on November 6 2007 1:05 PM

A complete waste of taxpayers dollars!
Nothing more than a political perk that will in the end, do very little.
And as someone here said in another post,why not take a couple of citizens just to see what goes on,instead of the high rollers?
And where are the detailed reports from previous jaunts?

Posted by: lmorg on November 6 2007 1:34 PM

China and PG have a lot in common. They both are notorious polluters.

Posted by: Harbinger on November 6 2007 2:03 PM

It is not true that hizzoner has his travel agent on speed dial.

Posted by: metalman on November 8 2007 8:56 AM

Hell, I think he has a travel agent in his outer office, never mind the speeeeed dial.
Who do you think runs out to get him another case of beer? His travel facilitator of course. Hey is it true that there is an underground pipeline between the brewery and city hall?
metalman.