Malliotakis named to U.S. delegation for China trip

December 9, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis is heading to China. Eagle photo by Paula Katinas

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Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis has been chosen by the China-U.S. Exchange Foundation to visit China this month. Malliotakis will be part of a delegation of eight elected officials from all around the U.S. making the 10-day trip.

The delegation will visit the cities of Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.

The foundation’s mission is to strengthen relations between the U.S. and China by facilitating open exchanges among policy makers, business leaders and academic experts.

“Our relationship with China is one of the most important, yet fragile, in the geopolitical world. This is a unique opportunity to examine the interaction between China and the United States in a global economy and explore opportunities to bring American products to one of the world’s largest and fastest growing markets,” Malliotakis (R-C-Bay Ridge-Staten Island) said in a statement.

“I’d also like to get a better understanding of their education system and high tech research centers, as well as their use of economic development zones that have attracted business and created jobs,” she added.

Alan Wong, the foundation’s executive director, called the relationship between the U.S. and China “the most important bilateral relations in the world,” and said that his group has “great expectations that this delegation, through their personal experience gained from this trip and their respective leadership positions, will make significant contributions toward the betterment of that relationship.”

In addition to meetings with Chinese ministries of government and local leaders, the delegation will visit a number of business and educational centers during their stay, including the Zhong Guancun High-Tech Park, where American technology companies like Google, Intel, Oracle Corporation, Motorola, Sony and Microsoft all have a presence. The delegation will also visit a secondary school in Chengdu; the Shanghai Institute for International Studies; the headquarters of Baidu, Inc., also known as “the Google of China,” a web-services firm that recently became the first Chinese company to be listed on the NASDAQ-100 Index; and the American Chamber of Commerce in China.

The delegation includes: Wisconsin Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch; Washington State Representative Cyrus Habib; Colorado State Representative Clarice Navarro; Cook County, Illinois Commissioner Bridget Gainer; Olathe, Kansas Mayor Michael Copeland; and St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones.