2008 annual report - US Trade and Development Agency

East Asia:
USTDA achieved notable success in East Asia during
FY 2008 by continuing to strike a balance among
U.S. foreign policy and trade objectives and economic
development priorities in China and Mongolia.
Throughout the year, USTDA built
on its record in the region of promoting
public-private partnerships
designed to address priority issues.
Cleaner energy and environmental
improvement projects were priorities
for USTDA in East Asia. During
the year, the Agency funded two
projects to help reduce emissions
of nitrogen oxide and other harmful
pollutants in Shandong and
Liaoning provinces. USTDA also
hosted an orientation visit for the
Ministry of Water Resources to
promote the use of advanced water
pollution monitoring systems in
key waterways, supporting China’s
efforts to more effectively control
pollutants entering its lakes, river
systems, and coastline.
As in prior years, USTDA’s China
portfolio exhibited a diverse combination
of trade policy initiatives
and infrastructure development
projects. In the trade policy area,
USTDA launched a series of technical
workshops designed to assist
China as it implements its Anti-
Monopoly Law, the enforcement of
which has the potential to significantly
impact global corporations
doing business in China. USTDA
also provided assistance to the
Ministry of Finance during its negotiations
to accede to the World
Trade Organization’s Government
16 U.S. Trade and Development Agency
Building Partnerships to
Procurement Agreement (GPA).
Once China becomes a party to the
GPA, this market will offer tremendous
potential for U.S. firms. Other
successful USTDA trade policy initiatives
in China continued during
FY 2008 under ongoing programs
and included activities to promote
transparency and international best
practices in standards and conformity
assessment, effective intellectual
property rights protection,
and science-based approaches to
agricultural biotechnology regulatory
policies.
In the aviation sector, USTDA supported
an expansion of the highly
successful U.S.-China Aviation
Cooperation Program (ACP). This
model public-private partnership,
brings together leaders from the
U.S. government, private industry,
and the General Administration of
Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).
The ACP continues to promote
enhanced dialogue on aviation
safety and security issues in the
rapidly growing Chinese market
and encourage liberalization
of China’s airspace. As part of
the program’s activities, USTDA
hosted 35 Chinese aviation professionals
for a three-month executive
management training program
for China’s next generation of
aviation leaders. In addition, a
USTDA-funded training grant
awarded under the program’s
framework played a critical role in
the selection of U.S.-manufactured
aircraft engines for China Eastern
Airlines’ expanding fleet.
USTDA responded quickly after
the May 2008 earthquakes in
Sichuan Province to provide funding
to strengthen the ability of the
China Earthquake Administration
and China Geological Survey to
predict and monitor aftershocks
and landslides. In addition, USTDA
funded an orientation visit for officials
from the CAAC to learn about
U.S. technologies related to airport
emergency and rescue services. As
the region continues to suffer from
these events, this assistance will
enhance China’s capacity to minimize
loss of life and damages.
In Mongolia, USTDA continued
to seek out opportunities for U.S.
commercial involvement in priority
development projects. In coordination
with the MCC, which signed a
Compact with Mongolia in October
2007, USTDA provided funding to
examine a branch railroad to link
a coal mine in the southeastern
part of the country to the main rail
line. The branch railroad will offer a
more efficient avenue to transport
coal resources from the mine to
domestic and regional markets.
USTDA will continue to pursue
projects in East Asia that are
industry-driven, policy and
trade-oriented, and highly
supportive of U.S. trade and
foreign policy priorities.
Photo courtesy of SCS Energy