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Garcetti in Asia to Strengthen Business Ties

By City News Service
November 21, 2014
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Mayor Eric Garcetti, mayor of Guangzhou Chen Jianhua, and mayor of Auckland Len Brown sign a tripartite economic alliance among sister cities during Garcetti's trade mission.
Photo: Eric Garcetti/Flickr/Creative Commons License

 

Wrapping up the China leg of his Asia trade mission, Mayor Eric Garcetti met today with business people in Beijing, touting a message that Los Angeles businesses can be a resource for China as it tackles environmental challenges.

The mayor shared ideas on sustainability, urbanization, and technology at a pair of forums with business executives who have offices in the Los Angeles area.

Garcetti also met with his counterparts from the cities of Zhuhai, Linyi, Weifang, and Xuzhou during his three-day stay in Beijing. The four cities together have a growing population of more than 33 million that is expected to boom in the coming years. Garcetti said he wants to help facilitate business opportunities between Los Angeles businesses and those cities.

The mayor will travel next to South Korea, where he will spend three days meeting with dignitaries, including Seoul Mayor Park Won Soon; appearing and speaking at luncheons and grand openings; and meeting with executives from airline company Korean Air, container shipping companies Hanjin Group and Hyundai Merchant Marine, and Samsung Construction and Trading Corp.

"Making the right connections will help their cities grow and will create jobs in our city," he said.

Garcetti also met with Beijing dignitaries as well as the CEO of Wanda Dalian Group, the company that bought AMC Theatres in 2012. The company, which is worth about $60 billion, also owns hotels, movie theaters, and department stores throughout China.

While in Shanghai earlier this week, Garcetti spoke at the opening of a clinical trial lab --  the result of a partnership between UCLA and a Chinese firm -- that will conduct research on treatment of cancer and other diseases.

Garcetti also helped announce the 2015 grand opening of the 121-story Shanghai Tower, which will be China's tallest building at 2,073 feet. The tower is designed by downtown Los Angeles-based architecture firm Gensler.

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