Antonio Yung: connection is key to opening-up

Antonio Yung, chief representative of Sacramento Trade and Education Office in China [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"I thinks as China continues to open up, continues to become, you know, an economic power in the world, one of the key things is to connect. Connection means you reach out to other people as well as other people reaching back to you."

"I think our world is quite different now compared with a few decades ago. These days, a lot of international corporations, as we have common goals including climate change, clean energy and so on so forth. The more understanding between nations, states, provinces and cities, the better off that we can carry our common goals around the world."

"Shandong people are very open, not only talking about opening. You know every step out of the way including cultural performance, they are demonstrating that. I think that is one of the key things that I get out of Shandong for the last few years of my engagement here."

"They are extremely friendly people. Actually you know in China a lot of different places are very friendly, but I think Shandong because of the Confucius influence, right, talking about friends coming from far away, that is a very very famous Chinese saying. I think that is actually not just a saying, it is by practice. For all of us visitors, I talk to many people from around the world for the last two days, everyone really, deeply, sincerely feel the friendship and hands reaching out."