The first-ever Chinese-American Mayor of the City of Oakland has join the Port of Oakland to lead a China trade mission through May 13 to focus on increasing investments in, business through and jobs for Oakland and the Northern California MegaRegion. Trade mission participants include Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, Oakland City Council President Larry Reid, port commissioners, Port Executive Director Omar R. Benjamin and essential staff. Together, they will meet with key business and civic leaders in the global commerce centers of Beijing, Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
The City of Oakland, Port of Oakland and Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce recently sponsored a Northern California MegaRegion Summit, where eight mayors within the MegaRegion signed a first-ever MegaRegion Export Initiative. “The president’s goal is to double exports by 2015,” Quan says. “If the Port of Oakland is able to accomplish this, we’d create 5,000 jobs.”
The specific objectives of the trade mission are to build business connections that will Increase maritime trade volume, with a focus on U.S. exports, through the Port of Oakland to generate jobs and increase local tax revenues; develop direct China-Oakland air service to increase travel-related jobs and tourism; and secure investments from and build strategic partnerships with Chinese businesses to create jobs and increase revenues in Oakland and the Northern California MegaRegion.
“The Port and City of Oakland are poised to enjoy ‘good luck’ in our commercial and cultural relations with China, the second largest economy in the world,” says Port Commission First Vice-President Pamela Calloway. “ ‘Luck’ is often defined as the intersection of opportunity and preparedness. Mayor Jean Quan and Council President Larry Reid have expanded our opportunity to grow our business at the airport and seaport. We are prepared for this opportunity to enhance and increase more than 50,000 jobs within the Northern California MegaRegion.”
