Greetings From Shanghai!
WWJ's Marie Osborne reports from China where she's traveling with a Wayne County trade delegation.
Seventy balmy degrees greeted us as we arrived after a 13-hour plane ride from Detroit Metro Airport. It appears Detroit is one of the few cities in the U.S. where travel to China is a relatively quick trip because of the polar route.
The nearly 30-member Wayne County trade delegation gets down to business Friday with a tour of an electric car factory and meetings with companies from the manufacturing rich Zejiang Province.
China clearly embracing electric vehicle technology as we were driven from the Shanghai airport to the historic Jin Jiang Hotel in a fully loaded electric luxury coach, and it was not the only one on the road. Since the 1950's, several U.S. presidents and countless foreign leaders have stayed at this hotel. President Nixon chose this as his destination to establish U.S.-China relations.
The photo above is of the beutifully illuminated Mao Ming Road in Shanghai at night. Filled with high end shops and custom clothiers to rival Madison Avenue. It was surprising to me to see the depth of fashion; short skirts and shooties for the women and fitted trousers and down vests for the men.
Stay tuned for more!
- Marie Osborne
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Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano is leading the 26-member Michigan group, which begins an eight-day schedule Friday. Private funds are paying for the trip. Ficano's office said in a news release Thursday the group will meet with Chinese government officials, an electric carmaker, trade associations and others during their visit to four cities.
Butzel Long Chair and CEO Richard Rassel and SmithGroup Inc. CEO Carl Roehling are part of the group. Ficano says Michigan has to leverage assets, like its skilled work force, to lure foreign investment and jobs to the state.
