VILLARAIGOSA READY TO SELL L.A. IN ASIA MAYOR STRIKES DELICATE BALANCE WITH GLOBAL TRIPS.

Byline: RICK ORLOV Staff Writer

As he steps onto the international stage this weekend with his trip to Asia, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is waging a high-risk, reward-rich gambit.

To Villaraigosa, the two-week trip scheduled to begin today with a flight to China has a simple goal: Sell Los Angeles.

``We have to be a global city,'' the mayor said. ``This city is home to the second-largest populations of 30 nations of the world and it's growing. We have to be prepared to compete, and that means selling Los Angeles.''

The global foray, which includes journeys to South Korea and Japan, is just the latest high-level international hobnobbing Villaraigosa has done to boost Los Angeles' reputation and build relationships.

Since taking office last year, he has played host to world leaders, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Mexican President Vicente Fox, Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan and various ambassadors.

Earlier this month, he was invited to London, where he appeared at a Labour Party conference with former President Bill Clinton.

Experts say the international attention and rapport can only be a boost for L.A., but some political consultants say Villaraigosa faces a tricky challenge to avoid potential pitfalls that have plagued other politicians.

``There is a fine line between being a statesman and looking like a junketeer,'' said Republican campaign consultant Sal Russo. ``It's something where a politician has to be very, very careful.

``The fact is most people have to pay for their own travel and they aren't staying in hotels that cost $700 or $800 a night and the taxpayers are picking up the tab. If it doesn't look like they are doing real work on these trips, it can come back to haunt them. Even if they are doing a good job, someone could use it as a cheap shot against them.''

So far Villaraigosa has not drawn such ire, and the Asia trip has been broadly hailed among community and business leaders as a smart move to boost trade and tourism.

Councilman Dennis Zine, who is accompanying Villaraigosa on the trip, said the mayor is well-suited for the job.

``This mayor is the best salesman the city could have,'' Zine said. ``Once he gets a chance to meet people, he wins them over.''

Jack Kyser, chief economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., said the trip is important for business.

``The benefit to the city is it keeps Los Angeles front and center in the mind of government officials and business leaders as they make their future investment decisions,'' Kyser said.

``It's a matter for them of where do they invest in the United States, and they are going to go to cities where they feel they are wanted. The fact is we are in competition for business.''

Villaraigosa told San Fernando Valley business leaders that the trip was also designed to encompass all parts of the city.

``Sure, we are going on this trip to bring more business to the port and airport, but don't kid yourself,'' he said. ``What happens at the port 50 miles away and at the airport affects you here in the Valley. It is about jobs and businesses in the Valley as well as the port.''

The cost of the trip has been estimated at slightly less than $10,000 per person. Many officials, such as Councilman Jack Weiss, are going on only a portion of it, and several of the business leaders involved are paying their own way.

The estimated $500,000 cost for the mayor and other officials will be paid by the city's Port and Airports departments and L.A. Inc., its convention and visitors bureau.

Ultimately, the upside of the international outreach is that it furthers his effort to reposition his politics as more centrist by being more business-friendly, Republican consultant Allan Hoffenblum said.

``The fact is, this is what mayors of big cities do,'' Hoffenblum said. ``A trip like this is good public policy and good business sense. It tells other countries that this mayor is interested in doing business with them and it tells business he will be out front representing the city's interests.''

The trip also is a way for Villaraigosa to establish broader credentials than New York's Michael Bloomberg, Chicago's Richard Daley, San Francisco's Gavin Newsom and other rival big-city mayors.

In California, the rivalry is seen as most heated with Newsom, with the two believed to be in a potential match-up for the 2010 governor's race.

``Just looking at it now, you'd have to give the edge to Villaraigosa,'' Hoffenblum said. ``He has not made any mistakes and he has the Los Angeles media market behind him. That's invaluable.''

Russo also noted that Newsom has put himself in some controversial positions, including presiding over the marriages of gay couples.

``I don't care that this is California and everyone sees it as being so liberal,'' Russo said. ``It is one thing to say you oppose a law and try to change it. It is another to openly defy it. Things like that come back to haunt you.''

Hoffenblum said the Asia trip also helps Villaraigosa's stature among world leaders and showcases his ability to negotiate.

``If you're looking to the future,'' he said, ``you'd have to say it all gives him an edge up.''

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com

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