Chinese Group Visits Port Hueneme

A seven-member delegation from the Chinese city of Chongqing stopped by the port and city of Hueneme on Monday to take an up-close look at local government during a 10-day visit to the United States.

Six government employees and a bilingual businessman representing a trading firm in China were welcomed by Port Hueneme Mayor Jon Sharkey; Will Berg, director of marketing for the Oxnard Harbor District; Arlene Fraser, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce; and Bill Buratto, president of the Ventura County Economic Development Assn.

“We’re a Pacific Rim city, and we need to do what we can to capitalize on expanding international trade,� Sharkey said. “Somewhere down the line these kinds of visits can lead to increased business at the port, which helps our city.�

Most of the five-man, two-woman delegation’s questions concerned the details of municipal government.

After a presentation at City Hall that featured briefings by the city’s finance and community development directors, delegation members got down to business.

How is the city financed? How many employees are needed for a city of Port Hueneme’s size? Are budgets done annually or every six months? How much is spent on services such as landscaping?

“A goal of their visit is to look at the effects of international trade on local economies,� Sharkey said.

Fraser gave an overview on how an American chamber of commerce works with government and business interests to promote commerce, along with helping new residents.

Buratto reflected on the diversity of the Ventura County economy, from the adjoining commercial port and Navy base, to agriculture, biotechnology and retail.

“From some of the questions that they asked, they were looking for ways that we could partner,� Buratto said.

But the delegates’ U.S. visit wasn’t restricted to business meetings -- they also spent a few days in Las Vegas.

Chongqing, the most populous city in its own central province with about 26 million residents, has a port on the Yangtze River. Because of its location about 950 miles inland from Shanghai, it does not receive large oceangoing cargo ships as does the Port of Hueneme, according to Berg.

Though Monday’s meeting won’t soon lead to additional business for the deep-water port, Berg stressed the importance of maintaining such contacts overseas.

“It never hurts to keep the name of the Port of Hueneme alive and active in China,� he said. “It’s important that we foster these relationships.�

Last year, the harbor district established a “sister port� arrangement with Qinhuangdao, an ocean port 200 miles east of Beijing that handles about 60% of China’s coal exports. Berg said Qinhuangdao is a large apple-growing region but has little citrus, a principal export from Ventura County.