Mayor Daley Announces Opening of Chicago Development Office in Shanghai.

Targets Chinese Travelers through Chinese Government Publication

CHICAGO & SHANGHAI, China -- Mayor Richard M. Daley announced today the opening of the Chicago China Development Corporation (CCDC) in Shanghai, to help Chinese companies expand into the United States and to assist Chicago companies in China.

The public-private, not-for-profit corporation will be chaired by Mayor Daley and overseen by a board of directors of Chicago business leaders appointed by the Mayor.

Mayor Daley also announced that John C. Thomson, a diplomat and communicator, has been appointed Executive Director of Chicago's China office. Thomson was selected after an international search.

The bilingual Thomson, who has extensive contacts throughout China, will report to the CCDC Board of Directors and maintain a day-to-day operating relationship with World Business Chicago and the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development.

"To keep Chicago moving forward, we have to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the global economy," Mayor Daley said at a City Hall news conference, "And that means strengthening our relationship with China, which is becoming a dominant force in international business.

"Our new Shanghai office will encourage Chinese investment in Chicago and seek new markets in China for the products and services produced by Chicago area companies. Investments by Chinese companies will create jobs for the people of Chicago and will strengthen Chicago's reputation as a global city."

The idea of a Shanghai office arose during discussions between Mayor Daley and Mayor Han Zheng of Shanghai during Daley's first trip to China in 2004 and during Han's first trip to Chicago in 2005.

A study by Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs determined that Chinese investors view Chicago as a strong business center. But it said Chicago needs to do a better job of communicating to Chinese enterprise leaders its strengths as a welcoming business-friendly city.

Daley said the CCDC Shanghai Office will increase Chicago's visibility by promoting Chicago as an attractive location for Chinese businesses and generating opportunities for Chinese investment. The office will work with representatives of Chicago business, educational and cultural institutions to improve communication with Chinese leaders.

The office will also serve as a resource for Chicago's small and medium-sized companies entering the China market, as well as large corporations that already have Chinese operations.

Daley also announced the launch of EXIT Chicago magazine, the only outbound travel magazine of the China National Tourism Association, the sole private provider of tourism promotional magazines to outbound Chinese travelers.

Some 50,000 copies of the glossy 50-page publication will be distributed in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. Chicago is the first U.S. city to be highlighted in the magazine, which is expected to increase Chicago's visibility in China and attract Chinese tourists.

"Mayor Daley and Chicago's business leadership are committed to establishing Chicago as the leading American bridge of friendship and business with China," said Paul O'Connor, Executive Director of World Business Chicago.

"With the EXIT project we are getting the jump on Chinese tourism by putting Chicago on the map for future Chinese travelers. Chicago's guangxi (personal relationships) with China are already strong, and O'Hare International Airport handles 25 percent of all nonstop air service between the U.S. This gives us the vital business tools to dramatically increase Chinese tourism and investment."

Thomson is a veteran of 36 years in diplomacy and business development. Since 2002, he has directed the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The program is operated by 13 U.S. universities, including the University of Chicago, to train professionals and doctoral candidates.

A graduate of Harvard and San Francisco State University, Thomson spent the first 10 years of his career with the U.S. State Department in Taiwan, Indonesia and China. He also has been deputy division chief of the East Asia Division of Voice of America and a public affairs officer with the U.S. Information Agency and the American Institute in Taiwan. In addition, he was managing editor of China Online Inc., a Chicago-based China business information firm. He served as senior translator for President Reagan's 1984 visit to China.

The Chicago China Development Corporation is a 501C(3) non-profit corporation. Start-up funding will come from the City of Chicago and private contributions from World Business Chicago. The CCDC Board of Directors will sustain the ongoing operation with tax-deductible contributions.