Asian Chamber will represent Nevada in China

By Richard N. Velotta

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011 | 8:37 a.m.

The Las Vegas-based Asian Chamber of Commerce will become one of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development’s official representatives to China, commissioners agreed Tuesday.

Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, who chairs the commission, said the action gives the state a network of representatives since the 500-member chamber has offices in Beijing and Shanghai and contacts in 14 Chinese provinces.

The Asian chamber designation will replace an agreement in place with Travis Lu for portions of mainland China.

Because China is so large, it will have two representatives – the Asian chamber for Beijing and the western part of the country, and Jeff Bernstein, managing director of Emerge Logistics in Shanghai, who has worked more than a decade to facilitate U.S. exports to China and support Chinese investment in the United States, for eastern China.

Economic development representatives aren’t paid by the state, but having a title and state backing gives them status in building business relationships, particularly in China where personal contact is so culturally meaningful.

Responding to a request for a proposal, Asian chamber representatives said they would work to create jobs in Nevada, help companies export merchandise, services and technology, bring Chinese capital to Nevada, build manufacturing and distribution centers and increase opportunities by visiting China’s provincial capitals.

Robert Young, chairman of the chamber, and Duy Nguyen, executive director of the organization, said the group would open an office in Reno in the second quarter so that the Asian chamber would have statewide reach to Nevada companies.

“This is one of the most dynamic opportunities for Nevada,” Krolicki said after the unanimous vote of the commission. “Our state’s relationships with China have served us exceedingly well.”

Krolicki was referring to the state’s inroads in tourism. Nevada was the first U.S. state to be licensed in China and a series of tourism missions over the past five years have opened doors of international commerce.

Alan DiStefano, director of global business development for the Commission on Economic Development, said China is the No. 3 export market for Nevada with $600 million in Nevada products sent there in 2010, a 95 percent increase over the previous year.

The Asian chamber is observing its 25th anniversary this year and plans a celebration in Las Vegas next week.