ChinaSF becomes real on the interwebs!

ChinaSF, an SFCED (San Francisco Center for Economic Development) initiative now is officially established!

Proof : it now has official webpages dedicated to it.

You've got - A short SF office of economic and workforce development blurb on the ChinaSF office, which you can read here http://www.oewd.org/China-SF.aspx
and - a whole ChinaSF section in the international part of the SFCED website http://www.sfced.org/international/chinasf
The section details what ChinaSF is (both in English and in Chinese), what China SF is all about, who to contact (Ginny Fang obviously), gives all sorts of info answering the obvious "Why San Francisco" question and informing everyone what services ChinaSF offers.

These self-described one-stop business "concierge services" range from : information clearinghouse, i.e. concierge assisting the settling in; assistance with dealing with theadministration , both state and federal; Real estate assistance and Tax credits and incentives, which helps Chinese companies find the programs and incentives they can hope to benefit from. Other services can also be provided upon request.

Funnily enough (is it?), the contact page doesn't even spell Shanghai right (it reads Shnaghai). Great start for an office focused on "Building business opportunities between two major economies." I guess good proofreading isn't a priority in that field. Don't you have interns for that though?

Contact info for Ginny Fang, ChinaSF director :

San Francisco Office

Ginny Fang

Director, ChinaSF San Francisco Office

T: 415-352-8873 (US country code: 001)

F: 415-392-0485

E: gfang@sfced.org

San Francisco Center for Economic Development
235 Montgomery Street, Floor 12
San Francisco, CA 94104

From GreenTech to ecopartnership

This blog's post talks about ecopartnerships, and how that reminds them of a project in Austin.

But it also makes me think of something I mentionned in an earlier post here. Indeed, "Bay Area entrepreneurship has the unique advantage of offering green tech", so the EcoPartnerships would be ideal within the ChinaSF framework.

EcoPartnerships are described by the US China Business Council as:
“voluntary, cooperative partnerships to develop new models for sustainable economic growth in the United States and China that prioritize finding solutions to the energy and environmental challenges that both countries face. These partnerships will be set up between localities in the United States and China, as well as between regional or sectoral organizations and associations, private enterprises, and academic/research entities”.

More on why a China SF initiative is good for San Francisco

Courtesy of the November SF Chamber Newsletter, a letter from Steven B. Falk, President and CEO, titled HOW WE SEE IT - City Needs Strategies To Stimulate Local Economy/Speed Recovery talks about the state of San Francisco's economy,

"This is clearly not a time to sit idly by. It’s time to take action to shore up our local economy. ”

and how, among other things, "Promoting initiatives like China SF to attract foreign investment" is going to help improve the situation.

Also of interest, the page 1 of the Newsletter which sums up pretty well the initiative behind the China SF office.

First comes tourism, then comes business?

Can relaxed travel rules help California China ties?

Let's hope so, since thanks to relaxed rules for travel between the US and China, California, and more specifically, the Sacramento Region, expects a surge in Chinese tourists in 2009.

Sure, it's naive to think Chinese tourists are going to come to the region and become convinced this is the place to set up their overseas business, but at least it's an indication of good faith when it comes to making the region more accomodating and more flexible. If it helps improve California's reputation abroad, and by extension San Francisco's reputation, then it's good, right?

For more information on the expected Chinese tourism surge, check out this article from the Travel Daily News.