Ehrlich on Washington column, January 26, 1997

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of January 26, 1997 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. A TRIP TO CHINA ~ PART I As a member of Congress, I spend a great deal of time helping constituents who have problems with federal departments and agencies. Just recently, however, I intervened on behalf of a business having problems with the Chinese bureaucracy. While in China as part of a bipartisan congressional visit, I received a fax from the president of a Dundalk-area chemical company. His company is seeking to market a household cleaning product in China and is awaiting final approval from China’s Ministry of Chemical Industry. He asked if I would personally look into this matter during my China visit. I raised this constituent’s plight with some of the Chinese officials with whom I met. I also visited the State of Maryland’s trade office in Shanghai to discuss ways to help this company secure this business. My office will continue to work with this constituent, and to lend whatever additional assistance is needed to secure a favorable outcome. This episode demonstrates how constituent requests can follow a member of Congress halfway around the world. More importantly, it demonstrates how trade opportunities in China can translate into jobs here at home. The Chinese economy has taken off like a rocket in recent years. It is growing at the staggering rate of more than ten percent annually, making it the fastest growing economic superpower in the world. At present, the Chinese economy is the third-largest in the world,