Pawlenty goes to China with big crew and big goals

11/12/2005

Dane Smith, Star Tribune
Last update: November 11, 2005 at 11:51 PM

Gov. Tim Pawlenty arrives in Beijing today with an entourage of 218 Minnesota business, government and community leaders, constituting the largest U.S. state trade mission to China ever, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

While every Minnesota governor since Rudy Perpich in the 1980s has traveled to the world’s most populous nation—most recently Jesse Ventura in 2002—this trip could affect both national elective politics and geopolitics.

Pawlenty, who is sometimes mentioned as a future Republican candidate for president or vice president, can use his time in China to gain much-needed international expertise.

And the growth of China’s economic might makes it an increasingly attractive target for many U.S. leaders seeking to build their constituents’ export markets.

Indeed, Pawlenty’s visit could be partially overshadowed by a more modest China mission being led next week by the nation’s leading gubernatorial celebrity, California’s Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Even so, national political figures are taking note of Pawlenty’s ambitious itinerary, which includes almost 100 events and meetings in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong over a weeklong schedule.

“It’s important that you go, governor, because this is the emerging superpower on Earth,” U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said in a call to Pawlenty’s radio show on Friday. “We need our leaders to get a feel for what’s happening.”

At an airport news conference before departing, Pawlenty said Minnesota economic development officials will make China their top priority in seeking markets for Minnesota products and attracting foreign investment.

“We’re not abandoning these other countries,” said Pawlenty, who previously led missions to Canada and eastern Europe. “But we are going to redeploy resources to put particular emphasis and focus on China.”

In an earlier news release, he said: “We’re bringing a big delegation with big ambitions to a market that offers enormous potential for Minnesota companies.”

Political points

No one doubts the political advantage of such high-profile trips, and many governors these days are leading trade missions, billed as job-creation efforts for their states.

“It’s a résumé-enhancer,” said Sarah Janecek, co-publisher of the online newsletter Politics in Minnesota. “But this trip would have happened whoever was governor.”

The trips, however, invite persistent criticism that they don’t produce enough jobs and investment to justify their expense. The total taxpayer cost for this one is about $180,000, Pawlenty said.

He acknowledged that the missions seldom bring “new business instantly,” but he said plenty of long-term benefits and deals sealed by trade missions can be documented by the state Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Far from feeling upstaged by Schwarzenegger’s trip, Pawlenty joked that it might bring him more attention. He also noted that the Minnesota mission is larger and more diverse, with emphasis on cultural exchange and educational issues besides the usual business briefings and “networking receptions.” The delegation includes a contingent of high school students.

“China is a big enough country to accommodate two governors,” Pawlenty said.