Vancouver isn't doing enough to woo Chinese business, according to a Vancouver Sun article explaining how the city is trying to catch up.
"We didn't even have a protocol person until last year," said Mayor Sam Sullivan. The city created a position in October just to handle foreign visits. Fourteen official Chinese delegations have visited since January and one or two unofficial ones visit each week, the paper said.
Contrast that focus on building business ties to Seattle, where Mayor Greg Nickels is mired in debate over $3,400 the city spent on a video about replacing the waterfront viaduct. Meanwhile Governor Chris Gregoire gets criticized for not addressing "the potential downsides of globalization."
One result of the attention: Vancouver has 52 nonstop flights a week to China, promoting economic and cultural ties. Seattle has none.
I like the inference that nonstop flights equals closer economic ties. The disparity between SEA and YVR could partially be explained by the fact that YVR is Canada's only major west coast airport. Passengers from China heading to YYZ are likely to be transiting through YVR. Passengers enroute to NYC probably stop at LAX. Still, there should be a market for SEA-China flights.
Posted by: V Payette | August 02, 2006 at 15:51