SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will travel to The People’s Republic of China next week to meet with Chinese government and business leaders, highlight bi-lateral trade and investment opportunities between the two regions and open a new California foreign trade and investment office.
The trade mission will include events in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen from Wednesday, April 10th through Tuesday, April 16th.
The Governor will be joined by a delegation organized by the Bay Area Council that includes approximately 75 business, economic development, investment and policy leaders from throughout California. Senior administration officials will also accompany the delegation.
“California’s exports are booming and our place in the world economy has never been stronger. Our ties with The People’s Republic of China in particular are deep—from the Chinese immigrants crossing the Pacific in 1848 to hosting China’s next President in Los Angeles last February,” said Governor Brown in his State of the State Address in January. “This year we will take another step to strengthen the ties between the world’s second and ninth largest economies.”
The trip follows more than a year of significant diplomatic and business exchanges between the State of California and China. In February 2012, Governor Brown welcomed His Excellency Xi Jinping, then-Vice President, and now President of China, to California. During the visit, Governor Brown announced his intention to visit China, open a trade and investment office and form a China-California Joint Task Force to drive more collaboration, investment and trade between California and China. Later in 2012, the Brown administration convened the inaugural Joint Economic Committee between California and China’s Jiangsu Province, hosted a Chinese delegation led by the Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Commerce and met with a Chinese delegation led by Deputy Governor Xia Geng of China’s Shandong Province.
The State of California has not had a formal presence in China since the previous foreign trade offices were closed in 2003.
A preliminary itinerary of trade mission events is below. All events, times and locations are subject to change. Please note that all times are local.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Meeting with the Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony & Media Availability
When: Wednesday, April 10, 2013. Meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. MOU signing begins at 9:30 a.m. Media availability will begin after the MOU signing ceremony has concluded.
Where: Hunan Hotel, Hunan Hall, 10th Floor, No. 9 Beijing Station Qian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Media Coverage: Media coverage of the meeting between the Governor and Minister of Commerce will be pooled.* Credentialed media interested in covering the MOU signing ceremony preceding the meeting and the media availability with Governor Brown following the ceremony must RSVP by Friday, April 5, 2013 to Riley.Robbins@gov.ca.gov with name, outlet and contact information.
Lunch Forum with the American Chamber of Commerce – Beijing
When: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Peninsula Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 8 Goldfish Lane, Wangfujing, Beijing
Media Coverage: Credentialed media interested in covering the reception must RSVP by Friday, April 5, 2013 to Riley.Robbins@gov.ca.gov with name, outlet and contact information.
U.S. Embassy Trade & Investment Reception with Ambassador Gary Locke
When: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.
Where: U.S. Embassy, No. 55 An Jia Lou Road, Beijing
Media Coverage: Television and still photography coverage of the event will be pooled.* Credentialed print reporters interested in covering the reception must RSVP by Friday, April 5, 2013 to BeijingPressOffice@state.gov with name, outlet, contact information and any electronic equipment you intend to carry. This equipment is subject to approval by the U.S. Embassy Regional Security Office; no wireless enabled equipment is allowed inside the Embassy. Please allow ample time for security screening.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Remarks at Tsinghua University
When: Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Tsinghua University, Main Building inside Main (South East) Gate, Qinghua West Road, Haidian District, Beijing
Media Coverage: Credentialed media interested in covering the remarks must RSVP by Monday, April 8, 2013 to Riley.Robbins@gov.ca.gov with name, outlet and contact information.
Meeting & Memorandum of Understanding Signing with Senior Jiangsu Government Officials
When: Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Jinling Hotel, Xin Jie Kou Square, Nanjing
Media Coverage: Media coverage of the meeting and MOU signing will be pooled.*
Friday, April 12, 2013
California Trade & Investment Office Opening
When: Friday, April 12, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Knowledge & Innovation Community (KIC) Auditorium, Building 7, KIC Plaza, Yangpu District, Shanghai
Media Coverage: Credentialed media interested in covering the event must RSVP by Monday, April 8, 2013 to RJeffris@bayareacouncil.org with name, outlet and contact information.
California-China Agriculture & Export Forum*
When: Friday, April 12, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Hyatt on the Bund, Glasshouse Room, Level M, East Tower, 199 Huang Pu Road, Shanghai
Media Coverage: Credentialed media interested in covering the event must RSVP by Monday, April 8, 2013 to smh-shanghai@163.com with name, outlet and contact information.
Visit California’s “California Dreamers” Reception & Press Conference
When: Friday, April 12, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.
Where: The Ritz Carlton, Grand Ballroom, Shanghai IFC, 8 Century Avenue, Lujiazui, Pudong Shanghai
Media Coverage: Credentialed media interested in covering the event must RSVP by Monday, April 8, 2013 to JDong@aviareps.com with name, outlet and contact information.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
California-China Sustainable Urban Planning Forum*
When: Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Shanghai Urban Planning Museum, 100 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Media Coverage: Credentialed media interested in covering the event must RSVP by Monday, April 8, 2013 to RJeffris@bayareacouncil.org with name, outlet and contact information.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
California-China Bilateral Investment & Innovation Forum*
When: Saturday, April 13, 2013 at TBD
Where: TBD, Shanghai
Media Coverage: Credentialed media interested in covering the event must RSVP by Monday, April 8, 2013 to RJeffris@bayareacouncil.org with name, outlet and contact information.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Breakfast Forum with American Chamber of Commerce – South China
When: Monday, April 15, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Grand Hyatt, 12 Zhujiang West Road, Pearl River New City, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
Media Coverage: Credentialed media interested in covering the event must RSVP by Friday, April 5, 2013 to Riley.Robbins@gov.ca.gov with name, outlet and contact information.
Meeting & Memorandum of Understanding Signing with Senior Guangdong Government Officials
When: Monday, April 15, 2013 at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Dong Feng Hotel, 120 Liu Hua Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
Media Coverage: Media coverage of this event will be pooled.*
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Meeting with Mayor of Shenzhen & Tour of BYD Worldwide Headquarters
When: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at TBD
Where: TBD, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
Media Coverage: Media coverage of the meeting with the Mayor of Shenzhen will be pooled.* Credentialed media interested in covering the BYD tour must RSVP by Monday, April 8, 2013 to micheal.austin@byd.com with name, outlet and contact information.
*Note: For the California-China Agriculture & Export Forum, California-China Sustainable Urban Planning Forum and California-China Bilateral Investment & Innovation Forum, Governor Brown’s attendance is not confirmed. For more information on the events with pooled media coverage, please contact Evan.Westrup@gov.ca.gov. The itinerary will include additional government-to-government meetings.
For updates and other announcements throughout the trade mission, please follow these social media channels:
• California-China Trade and Investment Office: Twitter: @CAChinaTrade; Facebook: www.facebook.com/CAChinaTrade; Weibo: @CAChinaTrade.
• Governor Brown: Twitter: @JerryBrownGov; Facebook: www.facebook.com/jerrybrown; Google+: www.plus.google.com/+JerryBrown
• Go-Biz: Twitter: @CAGoBiz; Facebook: www.facebook.com/CAGoBiz
• Bay Area Council: Twitter: @BayAreaCouncil; Facebook: www.facebook.com/bayareacouncil
Press releases and other content will also be posted at: www.business.ca.gov/china.aspx