Mayor Daley Announces Chicago-China Friendship Initiative

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Delegation travels to China

Mayor Daley and a delegation of others are in China as part of the Chicago-China Friendship Initiative campaign with the theme of Chicago: The Heart of America.

The goal of the campaign is to raise the Citys profile as a center of international commerce and to establish Chicago as the most China-Friendly city in the United States.

Daley launched the initiative by traveling to China from March 18-30 to meet with Chinese government and business leaders in Beijing, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Chongqing and Hong Kong. He was accompanied by a delegation of Chicago civic and business leaders, which included former candidate for United States Senate Cheryl Jackson, president and chief executive officer of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Jerry Roper and Jim Reynolds, president of Loop Capital. .

We already have a very strong relationship with China, but the economic future of Chicago depends greatly on our success in seeking opportunities in China and around the globe, Daley said at a news conference held at the offices of SOM, 224 S. Michigan Av. SOM is a Chicago architectural, engineering and design firm that has worked on more than 150 projects in more than 30 Chinese cities.

We need to build on our previous successes and on President Hu Jintaos recent visit here to further elevate Chicagos image in China as both an ideal location for business and a matchless destination for leisure travelers, he said. Daley said the great potential of a rising Chinese economy has generated considerable interest and activity by U.S. states and municipalities competing with Chicago.

There has never been a better time to expand the Citys connections with China. No other American city is so committed to a long-term strategy of friendship and cooperation with China as Chicago, Mayor Daley added.

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