PITTSBURGH: When most people think of Pittsburgh, China isn't normally the first thing that comes to mind. Steel, Andrew Carnegie and Super Bowl championships are far more likely to precede any thoughts of the Middle Kingdom. But if a determined group of local businesses and civic and economic leaders succeeds, China may soon be the talk of the town.

In mid-April, a delegation of 24 such leaders embarked on an eight-day trade mission to China and met with considerable success. Sponsored by the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA), members of the group traveled to Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Hangzhou.

Last Monday, at an event hosted by the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, several people who visited China were on hand to discuss their experiences. The evening's program was part of the National Committee on US-China Relations' China Town Hall, a nationwide event to be held in 30 cities across the United States designed to stimulate discussion on China.

Speaking on WQED, a public broadcasting station in Pittsburgh, Roger Cranville, senior vice-president of global marketing for the PRA, talked about the mission's purpose - namely, to differentiate between the perception and reality of doing business in China.

"It's not quite as mysterious as everyone makes it seem," Cranville said in an interview before the event. "It's a business opportunity."

Highlighting an example of how US businesses operating overseas can help local American economies rather than hinder them, Cranville pointed to the fact that Bombardier, an aerospace and transportation company with offices in Pittsburgh, recently won a contract to build an automated people mover in Guangzhou. The good news for Pittsburgh residents is that most of the rail transit system's assembly will be carried out in the company's West Mifflin plant, just outside the city.

(China Daily 06/11/2007 page2)