Utahns serve as model for Chinese

Utah officials lost a chance to forge better economic relations due to delays in a trade mission to China.

But they may be able to make up a little lost ground over the next few days, as a Chinese group visits Utah.

About 60 high- and mid-level Chinese officials picked from local and central governments, including mayors of major cities and directors-general of central government ministries, will arrive today and spend Sunday through Thursday in Utah before going to Harvard University.

The delegation's visit is part of the China Leaders in Development program organized by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard in cooperation with the Development Research Center of China's State Council and Tsinghua University's School of Public Policy and Management.

One component of the CLD program is to help China's civil servants learn about economics and management, and broaden methods of thinking and analysis to help them with governance.

Shawn Hu, Utah's trade representative for China, noted that the state was ranked by USA Today as the No. 1 financially managed state in the country. That, he said, can help Utah serve as a model for the Chinese.

Utah also can provide insight regarding government responsibility to its citizens during a large event — Utah hosted the Olympics, and China will do the same — as well as demonstrate the government's role in inland development and reacting to major challenges such as budget issues.

The Utah visit is designed to demonstrate practical applications of the American political system at the state and local levels, complementing the classroom instruction the group will receive at Harvard's 11-week program.

"We're really excited to have them," Jeffrey Gochnour, director of the Utah Division of Business and Economic Development, said Friday. "It's an opportunity to expose them to Utah and Utah businesses."

The group's activities also will include luncheons, trips to a dairy farm in Summit County and the Olympic Sports Park and a reception Wednesday with Gov. Mike Leavitt — activities whipped together after the division's International Business Development Office got word only three weeks ago that the group was coming.

Hu said the trip represents a unique opportunity for Utah.