Oakland Tribune Outtakes

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan wasted no time reaching out to Chinese officials in Beijing when she landed there Saturday to embark on a three-city trade mission with Oakland City Council President Larry Reid, Port of Oakland Executive Director Omar Benjamin and other of the Port’s seaport and airport officials.

Quan met with the chairman of the HNA Group, which owns Hainan Airlines, hotels and other businesses. She wants to try and bring the airline to Oakland, and perhaps convince the company to build hotels and use Oakland as its hub for for foreign tourism to Northern California.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan meets with Mr. Tan, chairman of the HNA Group, in Beijing

Quan said her meeting with Mr. Tan was was the “first of many conversations with business and political leaders in China about investing and trading with the Port of Oakland. The Port currently exports red wine, organic produce and other goods to China, and we’re hoping to strengthen that relationship,” Quan said in her FaceBook posting.