By Karen Robes Meeks
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and Port of Long Beach officials are on their way to Southeast Asia on a trade mission to bolster international relationships and explore business opportunities in the region.
The nine-day mission includes stops in Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It will also mark the first time a sitting Long Beach mayor visit Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Long Beach’s sister city. Long Beach has the highest population of Cambodians outside of Cambodia.
“Long Beach and Cambodia are united by our culture and our people,” Garcia said. “We must work to strengthen that bond by increasing trade and tourism and creating jobs for Long Beach.”
The delegation will go to Singapore to meet with officials from Ocean Network Express, which began calling to the Port of Long Beach last year.
“The continued economic growth of Cambodia and Vietnam creates a strong potential for increasing trade through the Port of Long Beach,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Tracy Egoscue. “We are looking forward to building new alliances and strengthening existing relationships with our partners in Southeast Asia.”
There is a strong desire to build trade between the port and these rapidly emerging markets.
“Trade with Asia allows the Long Beach economy to thrive, and a personal exchange of ideas will bond our communities closer together. This trip will solidify the cultural and economic ties between Long Beach and our Asian partners for years to come,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero.
