Gwinnett County business and political leaders are spending this week in China recruiting foreign investment and seeking trade opportunities for local companies.
The nine-day trip -- which includes attending the Chongqing Hi-Tech Fair that runs through Sunday -- is the latest sign that Gwinnett is aggressively wooing Asian investment. It’s the county’s eighth business recruiting trip to Asia in the past four years.
“We’re all part of a global economy,” County Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said during an interview from Chongqing. “We have to look [for investment] not just beyond Georgia’s borders, but beyond the borders of the U.S.”
Other Georgians have also targeted Asian investment. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed recently led a 45-person delegation from the city on a trade mission to China. In October Gov. Nathan Deal visited China and South Korea. Other local governments -- including Cobb County and Sandy Springs -- also have courted Asian businesses on overseas trips in recent years.
All the attention is no accident. China is the world’s second-largest economy and is Georgia’s second-largest export market. About two dozen Chinese facilities operate in the state, employing about 240 people, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
South Korea is the state's 11th-largest export market, and 55 Korean facilities employ about 5,800 workers in Georgia.
Gwinnett County has benefited from some of that investment. In recent years several Chinese or South Korean companies -- including Hisense Corp., an appliance and electronics manufacturer, and Ningbo Self Electronics -- have established or expanded operations in Gwinnett.
The county is home to more than 580 international businesses, according to the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.
Nick Masino, senior vice president of economic development at the chamber, said the Chinese government is encouraging Chinese businesses and individuals to invest overseas. Gwinnett officials want more of that investment.
Besides the Gwinnett delegation, this week’s technology fair will draw representatives of more than 50 countries and firms such as China Telecom, Oracle, Peregrine Semiconductor and Siemens.
Gwinnett also will welcome a visiting Chongqing delegation later this month. Masino said an announcement of another company’s plans in Gwinnett is forthcoming.
In addition to Nash and Masino, the delegation on this week’s trip includes state Sen. Don Balfour, Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson, Stella Xu of the state Economic Development Department, Matt Blitz of the U.S.-China Cultural Exchange and Monty Chiu of Monty Chiu & Associates.
“We’re all working together to create trade opportunities,” Masino said.
The trip won’t cost Gwinnett taxpayers anything, said Joe Sorenson, the county’s communications director. Masino said much of the cost is being paid for by Chinese hosts. The chamber also is pitching in, and some delegates are paying their own way for part of the trip.
Though the purpose of the trip is to recruit businesses, Nash said the attendance of public officials is an important sign of respect for their Chinese hosts.
“I’m here to demonstrate that Gwinnett County is supportive of these efforts,” she said. “We have to think about if differently. Government plays such a large role in business activity in China.”
Recent local trade missions to Asia
- October 2011: Gov. Nathan Deal leads a six-day tour of South Korea and China
- March/April 2012: Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed leads a 45-person, nine-day trade mission to China
- April 2012: Gwinnett County Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash and six other government and business leaders visit China for nine days
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