Giant Chinese Crawfish May Be Headed to LA

The Los Angeles Business Journal covers the first-ever trip to China by the local Latin Business Association, a delegation that included mayors from Huntington Park, Bell Garden, and Downey. A visit meant to convince Chinese businesses to purchase LA-made goods and vice versa, it sounds like things were a little dicey in the beginning: "When the Latin Business Association took a trade delegation to China, the trip started out as foreign relations at their wackiest. The Chinese first asked about Aztecs and Mayans, as if the L.A. businessmen had much knowledge of pre-Columbian civilizations south of the border. When the talk turned to families, Chinese officials raised their eyebrows when they saw pictures of five-child households – an understandable reaction in a country that limits couples to one child." But there may be a deal in the works from the trip. According to the LABJ, there are two products that Chinese are pushing on LA, a clay used in "cosmetics, kitty litter and paints." Additionally: "The other [product] was giant crawfish from Xuyi. Chinese officials want to convince one of the three cities to organize a crawfish festival." It looks like the Xuyi International Crawfish Festival is quite a big deal. Meanwhile, in a reciprocal move, the Chinese are coming to LA in May, where more import-export talks are planned. Currently, Huntington Park's Diana’s Restaurants exports tortillas to China, according to the LABJ. Cat meets crawfish via Symon Sez
· Local Latinos Make Chinese Connection [LABJ]