Wichita Eagle Logo

Wichita to open office in China to promote aviation business | The Wichita Eagle

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Eagle+ Sign In
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services
    • About Us

    • News
    • Crime & Courts
    • Local
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Lottery
    • Nation & World
    • Politics
    • Special Projects
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Finger on the Weather
    • Prairie Politics
    • Sports
    • Wichita State
    • Varsity Kansas
    • Chiefs
    • K-State
    • Kansas
    • Outdoors
    • Royals
    • State Colleges
    • Wingnuts
    • NBC baseball
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Bob Lutz
    • Jayhawk Dispatch
    • K-Stated
    • Lutz Blog
    • Michael Pearce
    • Shockwaves
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Health Care
    • Small Business
    • Forward Wichita
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Air Capital Insider
    • Business Casual
    • Business Perspectives
    • Carrie Rengers
    • Living
    • Celebrations
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Suzanne Tobias
    • Entertainment
    • The Arts
    • Books
    • Celebrities
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Horoscopes
    • Restaurants
    • Events
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Dining with Denise
    • Movie Maniac
    • Keeper of the Plans
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters
    • Opinion Columns
    • Submit a Letter
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Richard Crowson
    • Kirk Seminoff's Pivot Point
  • Obituaries

    • Classifieds
    • Auctions/Estate Sales
    • Garage Sales
    • Jobs
    • Legal Notices
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Service Directory
    • Place An Ad
    • Merchandise
    • Jobs
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Apartments
    • Other Categories
    • Classified Support Center
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Mobile & Apps

Business

Wichita to open office in China to promote aviation business

By Molly McMillin

    ORDER REPRINT →

October 10, 2013 03:25 PM

Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer is heading back to China next week for the opening of a Wichita-China office to support trade opportunities for Wichita’s aviation industry.

China’s general aviation industry is growing and the trade office’s mission will be to promote Wichita’s industry and identify sales and partnering opportunities. So when the Chinese think about developing aviation, they think about Wichita first.

“There’s a lot of opportunities for us to be able to sell a lot of planes in China based on their long-range plans,” Brewer said. “We’re trying to take an aggressive approach.”

The office in Beijing will work to connect Wichita and China businesses for parts, maintenance and other products and services.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Wichita Eagle

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

“We need to be in the game of international trade, and this trip reflects our dedication to helping Wichita companies expand their export opportunities,” Brewer said.

Having a presence on the ground in China is important, he said. When Wichita businesses visit China, they will have a representative to help them make contacts and connections, he said. The Chinese will have a place to turn as well.

Karyn Page, president of Kansas Global Trade Services, will join Brewer on the trip. She compares China’s general aviation industry today to the barnstorming days of Wichita’s aviation industry.

“It’s in its infancy,” Page said.

As China’s aviation industry grows, it will need parts, fixed-base operators, maintenance-and-repair centers and airplanes, she said.

“When someone says, ‘Hey, do you know how I can get FBO training? I want to start one,’ we want the office to say, ‘You know what, we’re going to get you the right people,’” Page said.

The idea to open an office in Beijing came after a visit to China by Brewer, Page and other government and economic development officials in 2012. During the 12-day trip, the delegation met with key government and business officials in six Chinese cities.

The delegation realized that the Chinese recognize Wichita as a leader in general aviation, Brewer said. That gives the city the opportunity to support Wichita’s aviation efforts by marketing the Air Capital of the World in China.

The office, which was started by the Kansas Global Trade Services, will also work to help companies protect their intellectual property.

“One of the greatest concerns that Americans have when doing business abroad is intellectual property protection,” Page said. “There are actions that a company can take to mitigate it. ... We’ll work with them.”

Not only are the Chinese interested in Wichita products, they’re also interested in investing in the U.S., Page said.

“We want them to think about Wichita and Kansas,” Page said.

The Beijing office is a pilot project initially budgeted at $300,000 to $500,000, Page said. It will be funded by private sponsors in China and Wichita with oversight by Kansas Global Trade Services, she said.

Fundraising began just three weeks ago, but Beechcraft and Cessna Aircraft already have contributed toward the program, Page said.

Eventually, the goal is to grow and spread awareness of Wichita’s aviation sector across more of China.

“We’re going to see if the ideas that we have about marketing and promoting the Air Capital in China is going to bring about the opportunities we think they will,” Page said. “If it does, we’ll continue on.”

While in China, Brewer and Page will attend the China International General Aviation Convention in Xi’an, which attracts Wichita manufacturers and government and industry leaders from China.

During the show, Beechcraft will deliver a King Air C90 aircraft to the Civil Aviation University of China.

  Comments  

Videos

New substance abuse facility coming to Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center

Sweet offerings at west-side Cocoa Dolce

View More Video

Trending Stories

K-State takeaways: How the Wildcats should handle Dean Wade’s latest foot injury

February 16, 2019 07:18 PM

Wichita’s west-side Cheddar’s restaurant now has an opening date — and lots of job openings

February 15, 2019 11:00 AM

K-State Q&A: Lavender uniforms, Big 12 honors and the return of confident Bruce Weber

February 15, 2019 11:53 AM

Man closed lid on their hot tub while wife was still in it, say police. She died.

February 15, 2019 11:29 AM

Hot-shooting Iowa State ends Kansas State’s Big 12 winning streak 78-64

February 16, 2019 05:17 PM

Read Next

Aurora attacker took gun to work he shouldn’t have owned

Business

Aurora attacker took gun to work he shouldn’t have owned

By DON BABWIN and CARYN ROUSSEAU Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 17, 2019 05:02 AM

The man who killed five co-workers at a suburban Chicago manufacturing plant took a gun he wasn’t allowed to have to a job he must have known he was about to lose.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Wichita Eagle

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE BUSINESS

Hundreds stranded as British airline Flybmi collapses

Business

Hundreds stranded as British airline Flybmi collapses

February 17, 2019 06:28 AM
French protests mark 3 months, yield anti-Semitism probe

Business

French protests mark 3 months, yield anti-Semitism probe

February 17, 2019 09:29 AM

Business

North Dakota Legislature heads toward midsession break

February 17, 2019 09:29 AM
In Brexit limbo, UK veers between high anxiety, grim humor

Business

In Brexit limbo, UK veers between high anxiety, grim humor

February 17, 2019 05:38 AM

Business

Timetable still unclear for expanding Medicaid in Nebraska

February 17, 2019 09:13 AM

Business

Illinois public housing agencies receive $2.7M in HUD grants

February 17, 2019 09:13 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Information
  • Digital Advertising
  • Rates
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story