East Meets West--as Usual : Despite protests outside, attitude at China Expo is business is business.
While a handful of protesters outside called for an economic boycott against China, business thrived inside the Shrine Exposition Hall on Thursday, where American buyers perused Chinese wares on display at China Expo ’89.
As the largest Chinese trade exhibit on the West Coast since the Beijing military crackdown June 3-4, the Expo attracted more than 600 American buyers its first day. They browsed through fabrics, toasters, toys, televisions and other wares being offered by 61 Chinese companies from Shanghai and the province of Fujian.
“We just took a $270,000 order for theater lights,” said Liu Xiongguan, deputy manager of export for the Shangahi Instrumentation and Electronics Import and Export Corp.
He said the recent political unrest in China has had no impact on business for his company, especially when it comes to regular customers. The company that purchased the lights, Commerce Cinema Corp. of Rosemead, had been doing business with his company for three years, he said.
Robert Buchsbaum, director of Henry Unger International Corp., a Los Angeles import consulting firm that buys toys and souvenirs for clients such as Disneyland and Universal Studios, said events in China also have not deterred his company from trading with China.
“What we see and hear from the people in China is that they are still anxious for economic reform, not political reform,” Buchsbaum said. “As far as a contract, delivery dates and prices, there is no change as a result of Tian An Men Square (events).” He took advantage of Thursday’s trade show to meet with business acquaintances from the Shanghai Shen Hua Import and Export Co.
The steady stream of visitors at the trade show was in sharp contrast to the subdued mood at an Ohio trade exhibit in June, just days after a bloody clash between protesters and soldiers in Beijing.
Security at the Los Angeles trade show was tight, in light of the presence of 20 to 30 protesters from pro-democracy groups such as Chinese Alliance for Democracy, the Western American Assn. of Chinese Political Refugees, and the Federation of Independent Chinese Student Unions.
Standing near blue-and-white banners in Chinese and English that said, “We’ll never forget Beijing massacre,” and “Don’t do business with murderers,” the protesters tried to talk to Chinese trade delegates and hand them newspaper reports of the Chinese crisis.
One 62-year-old man who refused to give his name but described himself as a consultant to some of the Chinese trade companies rebuffed the protesters: “I know the situation. I’ve seen it on television. We don’t have to force our views on others.”
Proceeding with China Expo ’89 had been a dilemma for the event’s organizer, San Marino resident Wai-Jen Jeffries. During the turmoil in China, Jeffries and her husband, Ray, had attended a rally outside the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles to show their sympathy with pro-democracy protesters in China.
‘Hard Decision’
Eventually, the Jeffrieses decided to continue the trade show as scheduled because in the long run, a boycott would only hurt the United States and China, Ray Jeffries said.
“It was a hard decision, but after we thought about it, we felt we had to deal with the world as it is,” he said.
During the trade show’s opening ceremonies Thursday, Vice Consul General An Wenbin congratulated Wai-Jen Jeffries for her 18-month effort to organize the trade show.
An Wenbin also was eager to assure American firms that China is still a good place to do business. “This exhibit is a vivid expression that the policy of open door in China will continue.”
Marcus McNamara, a representative of Costa Mesa-based IMXX International Trading Co., which sells outdoor clothing, examined some down jackets. Taking a practical approach, he said, “I believe in China as a source of products. It is too big go untapped. Business is business.”
