From May 9 - 17, a group of officials from cities in North Carolina and Alabama traveled 23,000 miles through seven Chinese cities and attending 34 separate meetings. The goal of their trip was to forge closer economic relationships with the world's second-biggest economy.

The delegation was invited to attend two Southern US Investment Forums in Shanghai and Beijing. They also visited Hong Kong, Nanjing, Bazhong, Nanchong, and Langzhong.

The group met with high-level Chinese government representatives and local leaders, including the former chief executive of Hong Kong SAR Tung Chee-hwa and the deputy mayor of Nanjing Zeguang Zheng, as well as top Chinese manufacturers, including Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co, the world's largest port equipment maker, and Baoshan Iron and Steel Co Ltd, China's largest listed steel maker.

The delegates were impressed by what they heard and saw.

"Clearly, China manufacturing is no longer to be considered only as a low cost manufacturing hub," said Sheldon Day, mayor of Thomasville, Alabama. "We have seen some of the world's most modern facilities and new technology that we would very much like to have in our community."

Day said his city is a manufacturing center for steel and other metals, as well as related products.

"We have two steel processing facilities in our county and several other steel related facilities that compliment the other steel related projects," he said. "We also have several carbon steel coil manufacturers in our region. There is 11-12 million tons of steel coil manufacturing capacity within a 250 mile radius of Thomasville and almost 8 million tons less than 100 miles."

The group also visited Shanghai-based Henan Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Inc, the largest operation of its kind in China. Although this was Day's first time in China, he said he was familiar with the company because of their investments in Thomasville.

"Our city has been working with Chinese related projects for over 3 years," Day said. "We successfully landed Golden Dragon almost 2 years ago. They are constructing a new $100,000,000 manufacturing facility just north of our city. They will finish construction and begin start up of the facility by the end of this year." Day said the new plant is expected to hire 300 employees, with an additional 200 over the next 3 years.

For another one of the delegates from Alabama, Monroe County Commission chairman Greg Norris, this was not his first trip to China.

"While I saw again the many opportunities for US communities like ours, I think we are making progress on reaching an agreement with at least one company to build in our community," Norris said. "For me, it was another meeting with someone who has become a friend."

Norris said Monroe County's location, tax policy, workforce and transportation advantages, including proximity to the port of Mobile, make it a perfect home for business.

"We are open for any type of thing," Norris said. "People here are trained, available, and with the ability to transfer skills to any project. We can be prepared for just about anything."

Norris described the cooperation between the US and China as a win-win situation and a partnership.

"I think the China-US relationship is one of the most important relationships we can have at this point in time in history," he said. "If the company sells a lot of its product here in the state, why not make it here, especially with the cost and transportation advantages here."

"Increasing investment between the US and China is essential for a trusted and sustainable US-China relationship and both sides should engage more to build up trust and understanding," said Raymond Cheng, CEO of Hong Kong-based consulting firm SoZo Group, one of the organizers of the trade mission.

According to SoZo, organizing such trips is part of its commitment to connect local leaders from the United States and China to pave the way for sustainable long-lasting relationships below the national level.

In November, SoZo and the Asian Manufacturing Association will host a US-China Manufacturing Symposium somewhere in the southern US. Many of the companies visited by the delegation have said they will attend, and both US and Chinese government leaders said they look forward to reconnecting at the event.

Luo Jun, chief executive officer of the Asian Manufacturing Association, said that the manufacturing gap between China and the US is there "because the industrialization base, innovative environment, and market orientation of the two countries are not the same".

The upcoming symposium, Luo said, will provide the opportunity for Chinese manufacturers and US officials to interact and "increase mutual trust between the two, to eliminate misunderstanding and reduce trade protection".

Yuwei12@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 05/31/2013 page10)