Shandong Province

By Juliette Schindler Kelly
We took the bullet train for a little over four hours to travel from Beijing to Weifang, located in the middle of the Shandong Peninsula.

Weifang appeared to us to be a hidden Chinese treasure. It is renowned as the world's kite metropolis, with an international kite festival every April, and calls itself the vegetable basket of China. It also is known for its flowers, mineral resources and communications infrastructure. It is very clean and well cared for. We had only a short time to spend in Weifang but spent a pleasant evening with Dr. Wang Guiying, vice mayor, and were told by one of her staff that she was named one of the up and coming mayors in China.

In the morning I woke at 5:30 a.m. (a common tale to those who have traveled overseas) and realized that I wasn't going to fall back asleep. I debated about returning to the fitness area of the hotel that Lt. Gov. Owen and I had used the afternoon before. It was very different than most U.S. health clubs in that you are asked to change into special clothes that resemble short silk pajamas (pink for the ladies, gray or white for the men) and slippers, with the assistant standing close by to assist. You are then escorted to the elevator, every step of the way with hotel employees at hand, beckoning, pushing the elevator button, etc. (Leading me to contemplate on China's stated unemployment number of around 4% and what some of these 'jobs' pay. Does this fit the economic concept of underemployment or are these employees the lucky ones, to get jobs in a five-star hotel, even if to an outsider it appears to be “make work”?)

Anyway, I didn't feel like that much attention at this tender hour so threw on my running clothes and after politely say 'ni hao' to the desk clerk, asked if he could recommend a path to take. He frowned and told me the air is bad and I thanked him and asked again ... eventually we realized our communication barrier was to great and he told me to 'go right'. I enjoyed seeing the sights on foot and was impressed again with the lack of garbage and in fact recycling containers on the street. In addition to the ubiquitous bicycles and mopeds, there were some Chinese out jogging and doing tai chi.

It was not crowded though, and later that day we discussed that the 'cities' we are visiting sound huge but the term incorporates districts that we do not in our country. One source of information on Weifang says it has a population of 8.6 million, as Lt. Gov. Owen pointed out in a meeting about 2 million more than the state of Washington. But this source describes Weifang as having under is jurisdiction 4 districts, 6 cities, 2 counties, and 3 municipal development zones. Clearly not a city in the American sense.

We took a two-hour bus ride to Qingdao, located on the southern tip of the Shandong Peninsula and one of eastern China's major economic centers. It is known for Tsingtao beer and since the Olympics, for the Qingdao International Sailing Center on Fushan Bay, site of the sailing competition. We visited both places and in the process learned about the history and economy of the area. Tsingtao beer was established by the Germans during their control of the city, an unusual circumstance in China. Some of the architecture reflects this heritage, particularly in the old town area.

Like the Puget Sound area, Qingdao is rich in seafood and other natural resources. We were honored to have Tian Guangwen, the director and vice president of Qingdao Port, join us at the dinner that the Qingdao Municipal Foreign Affairs Office graciously hosted. The Port of Qingdao and Port of Seattle share a friendship agreement, also commonly called sister ports. We learned more at the dinner about the growth and record volumes of Qingdao Port, one of the very largest in the country.

Photos: At top is the fountain, complete with beer bottle and cups) at the Tsingtao brewery and museum; at center is Lt. Gov. Owen with the Port Director Tian Guangwen. At bottom right the lieutenant governor is with Feng Bin, deputy director of the Qingdao Municipal Foreign Affairs Office.

Our arrival, visiting The Great Wall - and a chat about Taiwan

Lt. Gov. Owen, Trooper David Putnam and I arrived in Beijing after a long but uneventful flight, other than the unfortunate four passengers around my seat who became nauseated from the turbulent landing, and the unusual feeling of having a masked silent agent hold a thermometer in front of your forehead before you could get up from your seat. We were whisked off by our hosts to a very Chinese-feeling holding room at the airport, with a lush red rug and oversized upholstered chairs arranged in a ring around the rug.

Soon our passports were returned to us and Annie Zhou (who assists the trip organizer, Ron Chow) and I found a taxicab and were on our way to the Great Wall. After 45 minutes or so, we arrived and I excitedly led Annie up the very steep and uneven steps to a structure where we stepped out of the heat to recover our breath and look at the view.

Just like everyone who visits the Great Wall, I'm sure, I marveled at how on earth it was done...on the backs and even graves of many Chinese we were to hear during our visit. We hit rush hour traffic on the way back to the hotel and quickly showered and convened with the rest of the group in the lobby and loaded a van for the Diaoyutai State Guest House. I had heard about this compound before but upon entering the gates, was struck by the beauty of the grounds and the buildings.

We were taken to an exquisitely decorated room where Lt Governor Owen was seated next to our host, Mr. Chen Zuming, Secretary General of the Chinese Association for International Friendly Contact. The rest of our group sat in the chairs lining the side, as is the protocol for these meetings. Mr. Chen and Lt. Governor Owen spoke for nearly an hour, with a large segment of the conversation focused on the China-Taiwan relationship and Mr. Chen asking about the Washington state relationship with Taiwan. Mr. Chow joined us with a new member of our group whose plane from Washington DC was delayed by late departure and some passengers being quarantined due to fever.

Upon Mr. Chow and Mr. Blum's arrival, we moved to the dining room, where we were treated to a delicious dinner and told by the manager a bit of the history of the State Guesthouse, such as it was originally built for a royal fishing site. We drove back to the hotel and collapsed into bed after many hours without uninterrupted sleep.

The next day - surprisingly, already Monday due to the crossing the date line, talk about your weekend going too fast! We had a meeting with the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs at the impressive ministry site. Mr. Lu Hongbo greeted us in a formal meeting room and talked with the lieutenant. governor about the history of US-China relations, trade relations, Washington state and again, appealing for U.S. political support for China's 'One China' policy with Taiwan.

Minister Lu recalled that as a young farmer in 1971 he was shocked when we learned that Henry Kissinger was officially visiting (he added that Kissinger was visiting China at that moment as well).

He states now the US and China have a $330 billion US dollar bilateral trade relationship, so clearly when one side has a problem it affects the other. He complimented Washington state on its support of free trade and stated that to revitalize the ailing world economy, the US and China must both oppose trade and investment protectionism.

He appealed to the lieutenant governor to encourage congressional members to stand firm on free trade. Lt. Gov. Owen talked about the diversity of opinions and even within our state the regional and political differences - including differences on trade issues.

Minister Lu asked about our state's relationship and trade level with Taiwan. He stated tension has been relaxed between Taiwan and China recently under the new leader of Taiwan, Ma, but stated firmly that China will do whatever it can to improve relations - but with one thing in mind...a One China Policy. (He noted Taiwan sending observers to the World Health Assembly was alright but an isolated case, not a precedent as most international organizations require members to be sovereign states).

Lt Gov. Owen applauded the WHA decision due to the importance of sharing health information and Taiwan being a region of 23 million people. The minister asked Lt Governor Owen to discourage official contact with Taiwan.

The minister also spoke about Airbus' growing presence in China, including assembling the A320 in China for the first time and going from 15 to 40 percent of the Chinese market and the challenge this presents Boeing. In parting, the two discussed the delegation's visit and agreed that China and U.S. will continue to improve their relations.

Photos: At top right, Lt. Gov. Owen exchanges gifts with Mr. Lu Hongbo, China's assistant minister for foreign affairs. At center, Juliette Schindler Kelly enjoys some quick sightseeing. Bottom: Lt. Gov. Owen with Mr. Chen Zuming, secretary general of the Chinese Association for International Friendly Contact.

Preparing for takeoff

We met our hosts in China in April in Lt. Governor Owen's office and look forward to meeting the trip coordinator, Ron Chow (right of above photo) and Mr. Wang Xiwei of the Chinese Association for International Friendly Contact) upon arrival in Beijing.

As final preparations are made for mission to China -- just like with any foreign mission with an elected official -- there are last-minute details to check. One of those is checking the latest travel alert to be prepared for the possibility of quarantine upon arrival. Not wanting to be in a situation like Mayor Nagin of New Orleans, I am trying to get enough sleep and take my multi-vitamins! Beyond that, it's hoping the eleven plus hour economy flight won't raise my temperature one degree...

A common question before leaving is "So, are you ready?" And I always finding myself answering "Well....almost...?" After staffing the lieutenant governor on four missions and doing the legwork for others, I have come to terms with the fact that there is never truly a final itinerary and the key to success is flexibility...and a sense of humor.

News release on China trip

Our communications office just posted the news release on the upcoming mission to China that provides details about the trip:

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Lt. Governor Owen leads mission to China

Lt. Governor Brad Owen will depart for a trade and goodwill mission to China on Saturday, June 27, where he will meet with leaders in two provinces, visit with schoolchildren and sign an agreement to promote business and friendship exchanges between his office and Hainan Province in southern China.

For the first time, the lieutenant governor invites Washington residents to share his weeklong travels by following along on a new blog to be updated along the way. Postings on the blog, found at http://www.overseaswithbrad.blogspot.com/, will be by the lieutenant governor or his chief of staff, Juliette Schindler Kelly, who will accompany him on the mission.

After a brief overnight in Beijing and dinner with Ambassador Ding Yuanhong, the lieutenant governor will travel to the city of Qingdao in Shandong Province on China’s east coast, where he will witness the signing of an economic development agreement between a Seattle-based investment group under US sponsorship and local investment firm agents from the region.

He will also visit the city of Haikou in the south east province of Hainan, where he will meet with Jiang Sixian, the vice governor of Hainan, and other provincial leaders. The lieutenant governor will sign an agreement “to promote people-to-people friendly contacts and economic and trade interflow between the two sides, and actively carry out exchanges and cooperation in the fields of tourism, culture, education and others.”

The lieutenant governor is also scheduled to visit an elementary school in that province – something he tries to do on nearly every foreign mission he takes.

This will be the lieutenant governor’s eighth mission to China since being elected as the state’s second-in-command in 1996.

“It is very important, especially in these lean economic times, to strengthen our international relationships and find new ways to stimulate trade,” Lt. Governor Owen said. “These missions help keep Washington state visible with our top trading partners.”

Mainland China was one of the state’s leading export destinations in 2008, with exports totaling nearly $10 billion. The mission, coordinated by Seattle businessman Ron Chow, is hosted by the Chinese government.

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