Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA) will spend the next 10 days with a delegation that left Friday to travel throughout Asia on an overseas trade mission. With plans to visit Japan, China, and South Korea, McDonnell hopes to bring in new economic development and investments to the Commonwealth. China is one of the top two fastest growing economies in the world. The other is India.
Washington Examiner colleague Norm Leahy, a fiscal watch dog who is sometimes critical of government spending, has questioned the timing of this trip. McDonnell, he pointed out, just vetoed $424,000 for public broadcasting for the second time after the General Assembly overturned the original veto.
Leahy told reporter Alissa Smith with the Daily Press, “It does look a little bad when the governor is going over there to spend money on the same day he vetoed spending on public broadcasting. Is Big Big paying for the trip?”
The Governor’s office acknowledged the concern but said the return could be millions of dollars for Virginia in businesses and investments.
The trade trip could benefit small cities like Waynesboro, located in the central Shenandoah Valley. Designated a Foreign Free-Trade Zone in 2008, Waynesboro has been working for the past several years to develop economic ties with China.
In 2008, Reo Distribution’s General Manager and former Augusta County supervisor Tom Sikes began negotiations to join in business partnerships, traveling to the bustling city of Wanzhou, China, located along the Yangtze River, to work on trade agreements.
In November of 2010, six Chinese representatives from Wanzhou visited Waynesboro. The two cities have now been designated sister cities and hope to share cultural ties as well as business connections. Because of the relationship, Waynesboro (population 22,000), was one of only three U.S. cities invited to participate in China’s garden exposition from September through April 2012. The other cities are Seattle (population 602,000) and Houston (population 2.25 million).
Waynesboro, once a bustling manufacturing area during the 21st century, began to fall on hard times starting in 1990 as global economy stumbled and American manufacturing began relocating overseas. Once powerful companies such as Dupont, General Electric, and Wayne Manufacturing have since closed along with others who opened in the late 1990s — Invista, Mohawk Carpet, and Stanley Furniture — all gone.
By partnering with Wanzhou, local businesses hope to revitalize the city and breathe new life into the jobs market.
The first shipments from China of soft aluminum, used in Venetian blinds, foil, and air filters, are due this spring. Now talks are underway about the possibility of China’s auto industry setting up manufacturing in Waynesboro.
The Governor’s envoy included First Lady Maureen McDonnell as well as Secretary of Commerce and Trade James Cheng; Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Trade Peter Su; Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore; Director of Communications and Promotions of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Vince Barnett; Director of International Trade and Investment of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Paul H. Grossman, Jr.; Asia, Virginia Economic Development Partnership managing director Roy Dahlquist; Virginia Tourism Corporation president and chief executive officer Alisa Bailey; Virginia Tourism Corporation vice president of marketing Diane Bechamps; First Lady’s Chief-of-Staff Mary Shea Sutherland; Virginia Department of Agriculture and Forestry director of marketing Charles Green; senior director of international investment for Japan Yutaka “Tommy” Okutomi who will join the entourage in Japan; director of the Greater China-International Trade and Investment for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Hailey Fong will join the entourage in China; and assistant secretary of commerce and trade Jimmy Rhee will join the entourage in Korea and Shanghai.
The trade entourage will return from Asia on May 17.
