In a recent letter to the editor, city councillor Lisa Helps seems to question the value of key leaders from our community heading up a multifaceted delegation to China.
As a member of an organization that significantly benefits from internationalization, I must draw attention to the cultural elements involved in these types of global relations.
The participation of a mayor in a business delegation is extremely valuable.
The status of a mayor assures the decision-makers in other jurisdictions that we are serious and committed to doing business with them. Conversely, by not engaging representative city officials in this process, we suggest that we are only interested in limited exchange. In a highly competitive international market, this presents a substantial disadvantage.
Specifically in China, symbolic actions and personal intervention carry a lot of weight, and members of the Greater Victoria Development Agency travelling on their own would not be able to accomplish as much as a delegation led by the mayor.
Moreover, Mayor Dean Fortin's knowledge of China, his ability to speak the language and his cultural awareness, coupled with his status as mayor of British Columbia's capital, opens doors wide.
The following may serve as a case in point.
Over the last year, Camosun College has established strong educational ties with Baotou, a city of 2.7 million in the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia. During our negotiations, Baotou (a world centre for steel and rare earth production) expressed a strong desire for farther-reaching ties with Victoria, that is, beyond educational matters.
To underline the sincerity of this request, Baotou's mayor travelled to Victoria this summer and met with Fortin to promote friendly relations between these two cities. In Chinese business culture (if not by simple courtesy), it is expected that this visit would be reciprocated at the same level. Baotou businesspeople have already begun to invest in our city, and sending the GVDA to represent Victoria would simply be inappropriate.
If the 2010 mission resulted in $10 million in business, as the GVDA reports, then 2012 is likely to exceed these results, and money and time would appear well-spent. But it takes vision and personal commitment by the mayor and city officials to bring in the harvest.
This year, Camosun College registered its largest ever intake of international students, 50 per cent of whom come from China. These 300 Chinese students contribute almost $1 million to the local economy - every month.
Ultimately, this spending, like other foreign investments, helps to alleviate our tax burden.
Fortin has committed himself to putting Victoria on the map, and he indeed has been successful at that.
Tom Roemer is vice-president of strategic development for Camosun College.
