"I only wish there was a way we could take more people over there so council could really understand what is going on and leaders in the community could understand what's going on." -- Mayor Herb Pond outlining some of what he saw and how he wished more could see, from his recent trip to China with Team Northern BC...
Everybody save your pennies for the group rate, if the Mayor could click his heels we'd all be going to China to see the potential of the worlds most talked about trading partner. Well we assume he means, all of us!
.
Like those old Bob Hope/Bing Crosby road movies, or maybe the John Candy classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles, there's a great adventure waiting out there for us, if only we had the vacation money and a few friends to travel with.
The Mayor outlined some of the thoughts he had from his recent trip to China, a much talked about visit that was designed to try and make Northern BC appear more frequently on the radar of Chinese industry and government.
The Daily News highlighted his findings in Friday's paper.
MAYOR IMPRESSED WITH POTENTIAL ON CHINA TRIP
BY LEANNE RITCHIE
The Daily News
Friday, June 27, 2008
Page three
Standing and looking out at more than 300 ships loading or waiting for goods in Tianjin port, Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond said the analogy that came to his mind was "trying to drink water out of a fire hose".
There is simply that much traffic and that much economic opportunity moving through Chinese ports.
"The numbers are absolutely staggering," said Pond, who spent last week in Beijing.
"They are adding 12 million TEUs (average sized containers) of capacity to their port. The analogy that kept coming to me over and over again as we enter in to this is "it's like trying to get a drink from a fire hose."
"There's a very dramatic rate of change occurring in China. The more we can understand that and play into that fact that we are linked now by this port, the better off we are."
Pond was one of several mayors who went as part of Team Northern B.C. (TNBC), a trade mission promoting the advantages of the Northwest Corridor.
In addition to politicians, the group comprised representatives from organizations including the University of Northern B.C., Initiatives Prince George and Rio Tinto Alcan.
The team even managed to cross paths with Don Krusel, president of the Prince Rupert Port
Authority, who was also in China promoting the port.
"Northern British Columbia was well represented at the B.C. Pavilion," said Pond.
The feature event was on a Thursday and communities and industry from across northern B.C. were joined by CN representatives worldwide from China as well as representatives from COSCO and others interested in making investments in northern B.C.
"We also spent a day at the embassy, getting directions and contacts from them," said Pond.
"I only wish there was a way we could take more people over there so council could really understand what is going on and leaders in the community could understand what's going on."
Gauging the response to the trip in Chinese media, it was successful in getting the attention of the Chinese logistics and purchasing industry.
The port has been trying to develop a logistics centre around its new Fairview terminal and Pond was one of several delegates who spent a day with the vice-president of the Chinese Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.
The delegates from Team Northern B.C. highlighted the latest development of the Asia Pacific Gateway Initiative and illustrated the importance of Prince Rupert Port and Prince George Airport, particularly how the expansion of these two transportation hubs contribute to the overall initiative.
According to media reports on the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, the vice-president then committed to give the Gateway Initiative comprehensive and long-term exposure to the Federation's members via its magazine, daily newspaper, website and TV channel.
He also extended an invitation to the Canadian delegation to attend the annual logistics entrepreneurs conference and academic seminar organized by the federation to further enhance face-to-face contact between the Chinese and Canadian stakeholders from both the private and public sectors.
At the end of the meeting, the federation and the Canadian delegation fundamentally agreed on the intent of a strategic partnership in terms of promoting the Asia Pacific Gateway Initiative and exchange visits of senior officers representing the logistics industry.
Everybody save your pennies for the group rate, if the Mayor could click his heels we'd all be going to China to see the potential of the worlds most talked about trading partner. Well we assume he means, all of us!
.
Like those old Bob Hope/Bing Crosby road movies, or maybe the John Candy classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles, there's a great adventure waiting out there for us, if only we had the vacation money and a few friends to travel with.
The Mayor outlined some of the thoughts he had from his recent trip to China, a much talked about visit that was designed to try and make Northern BC appear more frequently on the radar of Chinese industry and government.
The Daily News highlighted his findings in Friday's paper.
MAYOR IMPRESSED WITH POTENTIAL ON CHINA TRIP
BY LEANNE RITCHIE
The Daily News
Friday, June 27, 2008
Page three
Standing and looking out at more than 300 ships loading or waiting for goods in Tianjin port, Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond said the analogy that came to his mind was "trying to drink water out of a fire hose".
There is simply that much traffic and that much economic opportunity moving through Chinese ports.
"The numbers are absolutely staggering," said Pond, who spent last week in Beijing.
"They are adding 12 million TEUs (average sized containers) of capacity to their port. The analogy that kept coming to me over and over again as we enter in to this is "it's like trying to get a drink from a fire hose."
"There's a very dramatic rate of change occurring in China. The more we can understand that and play into that fact that we are linked now by this port, the better off we are."
Pond was one of several mayors who went as part of Team Northern B.C. (TNBC), a trade mission promoting the advantages of the Northwest Corridor.
In addition to politicians, the group comprised representatives from organizations including the University of Northern B.C., Initiatives Prince George and Rio Tinto Alcan.
The team even managed to cross paths with Don Krusel, president of the Prince Rupert Port
Authority, who was also in China promoting the port.
"Northern British Columbia was well represented at the B.C. Pavilion," said Pond.
The feature event was on a Thursday and communities and industry from across northern B.C. were joined by CN representatives worldwide from China as well as representatives from COSCO and others interested in making investments in northern B.C.
"We also spent a day at the embassy, getting directions and contacts from them," said Pond.
"I only wish there was a way we could take more people over there so council could really understand what is going on and leaders in the community could understand what's going on."
Gauging the response to the trip in Chinese media, it was successful in getting the attention of the Chinese logistics and purchasing industry.
The port has been trying to develop a logistics centre around its new Fairview terminal and Pond was one of several delegates who spent a day with the vice-president of the Chinese Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.
The delegates from Team Northern B.C. highlighted the latest development of the Asia Pacific Gateway Initiative and illustrated the importance of Prince Rupert Port and Prince George Airport, particularly how the expansion of these two transportation hubs contribute to the overall initiative.
According to media reports on the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, the vice-president then committed to give the Gateway Initiative comprehensive and long-term exposure to the Federation's members via its magazine, daily newspaper, website and TV channel.
He also extended an invitation to the Canadian delegation to attend the annual logistics entrepreneurs conference and academic seminar organized by the federation to further enhance face-to-face contact between the Chinese and Canadian stakeholders from both the private and public sectors.
At the end of the meeting, the federation and the Canadian delegation fundamentally agreed on the intent of a strategic partnership in terms of promoting the Asia Pacific Gateway Initiative and exchange visits of senior officers representing the logistics industry.
