The “Georgia–China Future” initiative, which is bringing together public officials, businesspeople and academics to consider ways of increasing business between the regions, will meet on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at the Georgia Port Authority’s administrative training room in Savannah.
Some 150 participants first met on Oct. 1 in Atlanta to hear 17 speakers discuss the current extent of the relationship and provide their opinions about the measures that need to be taken to increase investment and trade between the two.
“If Georgia is to become serious about intensifying its economic relations with China, it should organize quickly or be left at the starting blocks,” said Mary Brown Bullock, president of Agnes Scott College and a keynoter at the Oct. 1 meeting.
The Savannah meeting will focus on “best practices” of other states in developing business ties and review the suggestions provided in Atlanta including the development of a stronger awareness of Georgia in China and encouraging Chinese businesses to invest here.
Other themes to be further discussed include developing educational exchanges, linking the port of Savannah with counterparts in China, reducing the transit time for goods traveling between Georgia and China and providing programs to encourage local companies to explore to introduce, market and ship their goods to China.
Sen. Sam Zamarripa, D-Atlanta, authored a resolution that the state Senate adopted in May creating the official body to examine Georgia’s economic relationship with China. A final report is to be submitted at the third and last session of the initiative to be held in Athens on Dec. 1.
Visit HYPERLINK http://www.georgiachinafuture.com www.georgiachinafuture.com for more information and to RSVP for the Oct. 22 program.