Tim Anderson and Marianne Sorensen, together with their spouses and 130+ members of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, recently visited the People’s Republic of China.
From a post by Lane Beattie, President of the Salt Lake Chamber:
The people were welcoming and friendly to our group. We were there long enough to get a real sense of the culture and the attitude of the Chinese people toward the West and their position as a growing economic force.
Goldman Sachs projects that China will overtake the U.S. as the world’s largest economy by 2027, and be nearly twice as large by 2050.
Of course, Utah and China share a political link, as well. Most notably, our former governor, Jon Huntsman, is now our nation’s ambassador to China. Recently, for example, Utah and certain provinces in China, including Hainan and Liaoning, have been working together to improve diplomatic and business relationships. The Utah-Taihu Institute of Environmental Research, founded in 2009, functions as a platform to accelerate U.S.-China technology exchange and facilitate business development on both sides. The group brings together government officials, academics, and businesses from Utah and Wuxi to work as partners to build a healthier global environment and promote bilateral economic growth. With funding from local Chinese governments, technologies from the University of Utah, Brigham Young University and Utah State University are being licensed by the institute to help with water and soil remediation in the Wuxi area.
If you have the opportunity to travel to mainland China, don’t pass it up. It will provide you with a new perspective and deeper understanding of the country and its people, as well as the potential for business growth involving opportunities in China.