Trevor Williams

Following China at all this year has unavoidably involved encounters with the Beijing Olympic mascots.  There’s one little oval-headed, wide-eyed creature to symbolize each of the five Olympic rings.  Four represent popular Chinese animals, while the red one in the center is the likeness of the Olympic flame. 

Despite their ability to crop up everywhere, even in America, the pale-faced mascots were noticeably absent in Shanghai.  They’ve been supplanted by a new, more locally focused character who’s already preparing visitors to China’s financial nerve center for the country’s next big coming-out party, the 2010 World Expo. 

Haibao, a blue, wave-like apparition often likened by Americans to the green Gumby, has become a star in Shanghai.  He’s painted on walls lining ragged sidewalks and flashed across flatscreen TVs in subway trains.  A life-sized statue of him keeps watch over tourists in the Yuyuan District, a popular shopping area near Shanghai’s old town.

As we found out on our tours, everything in China seems to ooze with symbolism, and mascots are no different.  Haibao’s name means “treasure of the sea,” representing Shanghai’s status as one of the world’s premier ports and the city’s desire to showcase that fact during the expo.  Indeed, “Shanghai” in Chinese means “on the seashore.”

That name is an appropriate embodiment of what precipitated Shanghai’s initial development. The city’s location where the Yangtze River - Asia’s longest - empties into the ocean drew British traders some 150 years ago, who used the city as a point of entry through which to trade opium and other goods for tea.  America, France and eventually Japan all followed the British in setting up concessions in Shanghai, which was once a sleepy coastal fishing village. In fact, as we learned at the Shanghai urban planning center, the settlement that would become Shanghai was called “hu,” named after a local fishing tool.

The 2010 World Expo is probably the most under-reported story of Georgia link with China.   Shanghai is building a huge international convention center in Pudong, the district east of the Huangpu River.  Each country will have a massive exhibition hall to show off products.  

Although Georgia won’t have a country slot, Shanghai’s status as a location for the exchange of ocean-borne treasures has a lot to do with our state.  The expo is sponsored by the Coca-Cola Co., which is building brand awareness by sponsoring huge events in China, including the Olympics.  The Georgia Ports Authority also has a representative in Shanghai.  Goods from China have contributed a great amount to Savannah’s ascension as one of the fastest-growing container ports in the nation. 

So Georgians should keep an eye out for Haibao.  With the Delta flight linking Shanghai to Atlanta by air and a slowdown of interaction between the ports of Savannah and Shanghai nowhere in sight, he could be coming soon to an advertising spot near you. After the Olympic hype fades, he’ll be the next big thing on China’s economic development agenda.

Rory Zimmerman provided reporting for this article from Beijing. 

BEIJING - The growing global economy and China’s increasingly influential role in it have Georgia universities looking to collaborate with schools in the Asian nation as they seek to internationalize their curricula. 

Throughout many historical eras, especially in the few decades following the Communist takeover in 1949, China isolated itself from foreign ideas.  But since economic reforms 30 years ago opened the country to market influences and foreign investment, China has made it a priority to learn from outside expertise.

During his recent business mission to Beijing, Gov. Sonny Perdue added a new chapter to the long list of pacts between Georgian and Chinese schools.  He signed a formal partnership between his alma mater, the University of Georgia, and Tsinghua University, a prominent research university in the Chinese capital.     

The deal focuses on fostering greater collaboration on research and development projects and building cultural understanding through faculty and student exchanges, said Arnett Mace, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at UGA.  In what many analysts are calling “China’s century,” the latter is an indispensable skill.

“Graduates must accept and understand the cultures and values of China and the world.  This understanding is essential to Georgia students’ success in the 21st century,” Dr. Mace told an audience at a breakfast panel in Beijing before the signing ceremony April 3. 

Currently, 120 UGA students are studying abroad in China.  Public administration and genetics are two of many fields in which Georgia and Chinese scholars are already working together successfully, and the long-awaited partnership with Tsinghua promises to broaden that scope further, Dr. Mace said.  

The nearly century-old university runs the Tsinghua Science Park, a large, well-respected research park servicing high-tech industries and 300 multinational companies including International Business Machines Corp., General Electric Co. and Microsoft Corp.

Tsinghua Vice President Xie Weihe and representatives from six colleges within Tsinghua attended the signing ceremony.  

Although Georgia’s flagship public university received much of the spotlight, a wider contingent of educators on the governor’s trip showed that increasing ties with China is a priority for many schools throughout the state.

Kennesaw State University, one of Georgia’s largest universities with more than 20,000 students, places a strong emphasis on the international marketplace, Sheb True, a marketing professor and the director of the International Center in the university’s Coles College of Business, told breakfast attendees.

The Coles College International Center is a branch of the university’s Institute for Global Initiatives, which aims to prepare students for an increasingly interconnected world.

Achieving that goal, especially in business, necessarily includes focusing on China, Dr. True told GlobalAtlanta.

“Our interest in China mirrors the global marketplace’s interest in China.  It’s a powerful economic force in the world today, so it’s important for our students and faculty to be engaged in that,” he said, adding that Kennesaw has other partnerships throughout Asia and the rest of the world.

While in China, Dr. True visited two Kennesaw faculty members currently working at a university in the city of Dalian as well as a Chinese professor there who will come to work at Kennesaw during the next exchange. 

Kennesaw also announced April 7 that it will partner with Yangzhou University to establish the second Confucius Institute in Georgia this fall. 

That institute will join a growing network of centers funded by the Chinese government to promote Chinese language and culture around the world.  Of the more than 200 worldwide, 42 are in the U.S.

In March, Emory University, through a partnership with Nanjing University and Atlanta Public Schools, launched Georgia’s first such institute, which is based in Sammye A. Coan Middle School on Hosea L. Williams Drive.

Representatives from other Georgia universities presented their China-focused programs at the briefing, which was attended mostly by Georgia business leaders and delegates. 

Steven McLaughlin, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said that his school’s involvement in China is part of a broad strategy to internationalize its educational offerings.

Georgia Tech offers doctoral degrees in collaboration with Peking University in Beijing and programs with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, which just gained an air link with Atlanta through a nonstop Delta Air Lines Inc. flight.

Mercer University was also represented at the panel. 

Although not on the governor’s trip, Georgia State University by coincidence had a delegation led by Provost Ronald Henry and Dean of Health and Human Sciences Susan Kelley in China at the same time as the mission.

John Hicks, Georgia State’s associate provost for international affairs, told GlobalAtlanta that the university has 17 partnership agreements with 14 different Chinese universities.

A nine-year-old pact with Tsinghua has been a successful mechanism for student exchange, Mr. Hicks said.  

Georgia State offers Chinese as one of its 15 different foreign language programs, and the Robinson College of Business has agreements with five institutions, including Peking University.

Mr. Hicks said it has become necessary to provide international opportunities with countries like China as technology and transportation has made the world smaller.

“It’s no longer something that should be regarded as something special or a luxury,” he said.  “To the extent that (students) don’t have the ability to communicate in a language other than English, the potential for them to be disadvantaged is quite real.”

This clip will show you a few things, the principal of which is that I’m not trained in broadcast journalism.  But despite my lack of videographic skills, I hope this short video illustrates Delta’s task in creating awareness about Atlanta and Georgia in China.

You’ll also get a good glimpse of People’s Park, a huge green space in a popular area of Shanghai.  Appropriately, the Chinese flag was neatly posted on poles surrounding the park.  The Chinese government is notorious for its lax environmental policies, but there signs that it at least wants to look like it’s doing something to fix the rampant pollution that has followed rapid industrial development.

For one, the national government’s environmental department just got upgraded into a full-blown ministry, which entails a big step up in funding and attention.  And although they aren’t directly linked, Shanghai’s many parks and green spaces showed me that there is definitely concern for quality of life in China’s huge cities. 

BEIJING - Add another one to the list.

Last year, three Chinese companies announced plans to open manufacturing operations in Georgia. While the displays of confidence in the state by General Protecht Group, Kingwasong LLC and Sany Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. were good news in their own right, many government and economic development officials believed they were simply part of the first wave in a growing tide of Chinese investment to come.

On April 3, Georgia saw another swell on the horizon, as Gov. Sonny Perdue, on his first business mission to China, announced Hong Kong-based electronic payment system and point-of-sale software provider PAX Technology Ltd.’s decision to locate a sales and support center in the metro Atlanta area employing up to 20 people initially.

At an inauguration ceremony just before the wheels went up on Delta’s first flight to Shanghai, China, March 30, the governor hinted that this is just the type of business the state hopes the new flight and Georgia trade office in Beijing will foster.

He said that Georgia wants to be the “front door” for Chinese companies looking to invest in the U.S., and the state’s logistical infrastructure is key in making that possible.

“With each direct flight, (Delta is) opening Georgia’s doors a little bit wider to the rest of the world,” he said.

The announcement came after Mr. Perdue met with PAX officials in Beijing, where just a day earlier the governor opened the Georgia Beijing Business Advisory Center Ltd., the state’s 11th economic development office abroad.

PAX is a subsidiary of Hi Sun Technology Holdings, which is publicly traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Both Mr. Perdue and PAX officials credited a receptive environment for foreign companies as the main factor attracting the company to Georgia.

“The state’s logistics systems and access to markets, as well as its business-friendly environment will help our company grow,” said Thomas Xu, PAX’s chairman and president. “We have found that Georgia is a very friendly place for Chinese companies and we look forward to our new home in metro Atlanta.”

Hans Gant, vice president for economic development at the Metro Chamber of Commerce, said the flight would help companies of all sizes capitalize on the Georgia-China connection, but he thinks that small- to medium-sized companies will especially benefit.

The governor, whose five-day mission ended the evening of April 3, met with officials from Tsinghua University in Beijing to formally establish a new partnership that will provide for increased faculty and student exchanges as well as research opportunities between Tsinghua and the University of Georgia.

Mr. Perdue delivered a lecture to students at the event on the international spotlight of the Olympic Games, using Atlanta’s experience in 1996 for the basis of a speech on the potential economic impact of the games on Beijing.

A variety of Georgia universities have educational institutes or initiatives revolving around China.

As I mentioned in the last post, Delta Air Lines has a lot of work to do in promoting Atlanta as a destination for Chinese business and leisure visitors.  The flight home was a prime illustration of that fact.

Although it was a traveler’s dream with seats and room aplenty, it doesn’t seem like Delta would be as thrilled with the largely empty plane.  On my count, there were at most 30 people in the two economy class cabins combined. Some were going directly to Atlanta, but others were using our hometown airport as a transfer point to other cities.

By comparison, the inaugural flight from Atlanta to Shanghai was sent off with pomp and ceremony, and there were only about 10 empty seats on the entire plane, Lee Macenczak, Delta’s executive VP for sales and marketing, told reporters at a breakfast briefing in Shanghai.

But the flight from Atlanta to Shanghai isn’t just an extravagant waste of jet fuel.  What it has been lacking in passengers, the flight has made up for in cargo.  Mr. Macenczak mentioned the route’s vast potential in that area, saying the first return flight had a full load (eight pallets) of goods to zip back to Atlanta.  I  heard a cargo handler telling some business travelers that my Thursday (April 3) flight was packed as well.  Not to mention that the business class cabin had a much higher percentage of seats filled than the economy section.

But spending extra cash wasn’t really necessary for a comfortable ride home.  Each economy flier could’ve had two or three entire rows to stretch out upon.  And there were other reasons for those in the back to feel like they were living the luxury life.  With the right tail winds in place, the flight took about 13 hours instead of 15-plus, and the service was excellent.  Throw in the personal touchscreens in every seat back, and there was no shortage of entertainment.  Passengers could choose from a wide variety of movies, music, television and games, all  controlled at their own whims rather than being bound to a single in-flight movie, listening on those stethoscope headphones of old.

Delta’s operation in Shanghai is still developing, as workers at Delta’s one counter adjacent to Korean Air’s in Terminal 1 were borrowed from other airlines.  They were still learning the ropes on Delta’s system.  That made the wait time in the line a little long, especially compared with the convenience of self check-in kiosks in Hartsfield-Jackson.  Mr. Macenczak said that further upgrades are in store for Hartsfield’s lobby, with adding more kiosks as one of the primary goals.

“Our goal is to get you through that (line) in 30 seconds,” he said.

My check-in at Hartsfield would have probably been that quick, had I not put my middle name on the ticket rather than my first.  The passport scanner on the kiosk only recognized “Jonathan Williams” and couldn’t match it to the “Trevor” on my ticket.  Make sure those correspond if you want to speed through the line.

Although I’m back from my trip to Shanghai, stay tuned for more GlobalAtlanta articles and blog posts on that leg of the journey and from Gov. Sonny Perdue’s continued mission in Beijing.

Unless airport trivia experiences a boom in popularity, don’t expect many ordinary Chinese citizens will to connect the dots between the state of Georgia, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the city of Atlanta.

Before you get offended, try to name five Chinese cities besides Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and then match them with the corresponding provinces. It’s not an easy thing to do for ethnocentric Americans who’ve had little need for Chinese geography lessons.

The Chinese are pretty ethnocentric too, arguably moreso than we are. Shanghai’s population is almost twice the size of Georgia’s, so it’s unlikely that people will stop their busy lives and strain to make those mental connections. And although this city has as much cosmopolitan swagger as any, the majority of the citizenry has little reason to think about international affairs, much less those of the Southeast U.S. Shanghai is on par with massive cities like New York and Los Angeles, and Delta Air Lines has a daunting task ahead in promoting Georgia as a destination.

I think focusing on business travelers will be the key to Delta’s success. As officials have said on this trip, the growing business ties between Georgia and China as well as Atlanta’s position as a gateway have driven the quest for the flight. Business travelers will have a vested interest in using Atlanta as a gateway, not only to the U.S., but also to South America and the Caribbean. They’re the ones whose companies can pay for the flight and who have the resources to take advantage of tourist attractions.

Yesterday I was in People’s Square, a large green park in one of the most popular areas of town. Out of seven people I surveyed, all had heard of Atlanta, but none could link it with Georgia.

“The United States has many famous places like Los Angeles, New York and California. I’d like to go there,” said Liu Jia, a woman from Beijing who had come to Shanghai on vacation.

Only one of the four I asked had ever heard of Delta Air Lines.

“I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never flown on them before,” said a girl who identified herself by her chosen English name, Sophia.

Andy Yiping Ou, who coordinates inbound groups from North America and Australia at the Shanghai branch of China International Travel Service Ltd., said that the prospects for increased tourism between Atlanta and Shanghai are good, but that the Georgia capital needs to be promoted better in China.

It’s the same for other destinations in the U.S. that don’t have the historical value of places like Philadelphia and Washington.

“(Chinese people) know New York, Boston and L.A. because they have relatives and friends living there. They have seen pictures and images from videos and movies, but if you’re talking about the Midwest or Texas, they never know,” Mr. Ou said.

If Delta and Georgia officials can partner with city governments across Georgia and can put together a strong coalition to promote a holistic vision of the state as part of a larger region with good connectivity to the world, the flight could help Georgia rise to prominence as a destination for business and tourism.

While Atlanta has traffic trouble, Shanghai has a people problem. With about 18 million of them, the Chinese commercial center is one of the world’s most populous metropolitan areas. Like any Chinese city, Shanghai’s residents lack the self-effacing courtesy so valued in Georgia as they move from place to place. Queues are a foreign concept, and even when they’re in place, they’re subject to arbitrary reshuffling. Traffic signals are more like suggestions than hard rules, and pedestrians definitely don’t have the right of way.

But there’s a comforting consistency to the rhythmic movement of the masses as they occupy their small niches in this sprawling organism of a city. As cabs swerve around old ladies on the street and the late commuter squeezes himself through the subway door, everyone seems to understand: It’s crowded here, and this is how we do life. As an outsider, the system felt chaotic at first, but I soon realized that Shanghai city planners had to make lemonade from some extremely bitter lemons. They’ve put into effect a diversified portfolio of public transportation solutions that maintains widespread order while cramming a population more than that of Chile into a city-sized container:

1. Maglev Train - Using German technology, the Shanghai government in 2003 completed a high-speed Maglev train from Pudong International Airport to the Longyang Road subway stop. The train tops out at speeds of more than 260 miles per hour. It doesn’t go all the way into the heart of Shanghai, but in seven minutes, it spits out passengers at a station where they can catch the subway or a cab for a much smoother (and cheaper) ride to popular sites in the city. There are rumors that the Maglev will be extended to the domestic airport on the southwest side. Too bad the train’s kingly amounts of leg room only lasted seven minutes.

2. Taxis - Taxis are ubiquitous in China, especially in a huge city like Shanghai. The base price varies from depending on where you are in China, but in Shanghai it starts at 11 RMB (Renminbi, China’s currency) before 11 p.m. That late, the meter will start at about 14 RMB, or about two dollars, to compensate drivers for working so late, according to a tour guide here. The base charge covers the first three kilometers but increases in proportion to the distance traveled. Passengers should always make sure the driver starts the meter.  For flat rate trips like to the airport, set the price before going anywhere.

3. Buses - I never made it this far. Buses are generally more confusing in China than they’re worth, at least for short-term trips where convenience is paramount.

4. Metro System - Used correctly, Shanghai’s nine-line Metro System is an economical and lightning-fast way to navigate a city with attractions spread over a wide range. Fares are based on distance traveled, and passengers can switch subway lines without buying a new magnetic card from the vending machine. Helpful attendants are on hand to offer polite assistance for those having trouble buying their own tickets.

More on transportation and city planning in Shanghai to come…

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Nearly 20 years ago, the land east of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China, was mostly occupied by peasant farmers working the soggy ground, and the Jin Mao Tower was simply a gleam in an architect’s eye, if planned at all.

But by 1998, the 88-story, pagoda-influenced skyscraper rose from the ground, one of many crown jewels in a government-sponsored construction blitz that transformed that same land into the modern Pudong area.

Just across a small street from the Jin Mao stands the newest monument to financial prosperity: 101-story World Financial Center, the third-tallest building in the world, which will be completed before Shanghai hosts the 2010 World Expo, the next big item on China’s quest to grow its influence in the global economy.

The Jin Mao is now home to a variety of companies that have launched in Shanghai or flocked to the city to do business. From the 54th floor up, rooms of the opulent Grand Hyatt Shanghai give visitors a firsthand view of China’s rise.

Almost every skyscraper in the Pudong area was nonexistent two decades ago, but the windows of Grand Hyatt’s elevated lobby display a skyline to rival any in America, and that’s just on the east side of the river.

During their brief time here, most of the Georgia delegation stayed at the luxurious hotel, a fitting representation of the Chinese economic boom with which the state and Delta Air Lines Inc. were so eager to connect.

A welcome reception and banquet held in a second-floor ballroom gave a preview of the new business and cultural links the flight will foster.

Georgian and Chinese businesspeople chatted and exchanged cards at a cocktail networking reception before the dinner celebration. The Delta-sponsored party that followed was a festive production, complete with swirling spotlights and swanky music. A lighted Delta logo projected on the walls continually circled the room.

Young Shaolin monks from the nearby temple came on stage to show off their fierce brand of martial arts, and silk-clad female performers obliged dinner attendees with an elegant dance.

Then, while attendees used their chopsticks to nibble on a 10-course meal, a blues band from a local club backed a singer who belted out American classics including “Georgia on My Mind.”

Kenneth Jarrett, U.S. consul general in Shanghai, seemed to think that the song choice was appropriate in view of the new flight’s potential.

“Soon, many people in eastern China will have Georgia and many other cities in the Southeast on their minds,” Mr. Jarrett told the audience of about a few hundred guests.

Serving as his own translator, Mr. Jarrett said Delta’s endeavor in China, which began on the same day as the airline’s highly anticipated service to London’s Heathrow Airport, fills a critical void in air travel, linking the 65 million residents of the Southeast with China’s financial hub.

The highest-ranking delegates traveling on the Georgia trip sat at the front and center of some 40 tables. Although Gov. Sonny Perdue and other state officials, business leaders and even Chinese Consul General Qiao Hong were on hand, Lee Macenczak, Delta’s executive vice president for sales and marketing, was the only one to make official remarks.

He told the crowd that Delta makes about 1,000 daily departures from the airline’s Atlanta hub and that the company is undergoing its largest international expansion ever. The airline serves 80 destinations in all, making it the U.S. carrier with the widest selection.

The straight-shot flight will save travelers between Atlanta and China three to five hours of travel time over one-stop routes, he said.

Although he didn’t formally speak, Mr. Perdue participated in a bilingual countdown, symbolically launching the Shanghai to Atlanta leg of the flight.

Mr. Macenczak said that the flight, which departed for Georgia a few hours after it arrived in Shanghai, carried a full load of cargo, but not passengers.

Delta has been working to build its brand in China for as long as it has been pursuing a connection with the Asian nation, selling tickets here for flights taking from America, but Mr. Macenczak said it would take awhile for the flight to fill up from the Shanghai side. If it is as popular as the dinner celebrating its launch, the prospects look good.

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While my first report on GlobalAtlanta.com gives the general idea about the atmosphere of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Delta’s nonstop flight to Shanghai, the videos of prominent officials below paint the entire picture:

Gov. Sonny Perdue said Atlanta’s hometown airline is a significant piece of the state’s plan to promote Georgia as a center for international trade and economic development. CLICK FOR VIDEO.

Lee Macenczak, Delta’s executive vice president for sales and marketing, said Delta didn’t achieve this flight alone. It took a statewide effort and determination on the part of some Delta employees to get this route up and running. CLICK FOR VIDEO.

Ben DeCosta, general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, greeted attendees with a hearty “ni hao,” the Chinese greeting equivalent to “hello” in English. Fittingly, Mr. DeCosta told GlobalAtlanta during the trip to Shanghai that the airport will be looking to hire some Chinese speaking staff to be more accommodating to Chinese guests in the Atlanta airport. The inaugural flight was Mr. DeCosta’s first to China. After coming here, he can empathize with those who feel lost and out of place during their first visit to Georgia. CLICK FOR VIDEO.

Qiao Hong, China’s consul general in Houston, has endured lighthearted but persistent pressure from Georgia officials to move to their state, where she has spent a considerable amount of time and energy. With this trip to Atlanta, Ms. Qiao has now been to the Georgia capital at least 10 times in less than one year since she took her post. CLICK FOR VIDEO.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony - At first, when the large scissors couldn’t be found, Mr. Perdue joked that they didn’t make it through customs. CLICK FOR VIDEO.

A scintillating silver lion flailed its limbs to the deep thumping of a Chinese drum and dancers performed a Sichuanese opera number, providing fanfare to help Delta Air Lines Inc. launch the first nonstop flight from Atlanta to Shanghai, China, on March 30.

The cultural displays at gate E12 of the Atlanta airport lent a colorful backdrop for a ceremony that focused on business as the driver for the flight’s inauguration and the engine that will sustain demand for it in the future.

“This flight is going to link the world’s busiest airport with the world’s most populous country,” Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue told an audience that grew larger as passersby stopped to investigate an army of video cameras with their views fixed on a podium adorned with red and yellow balloons.

Calling Delta’s connectivity with the U.S. and the world a “magnet” drawing more companies to Georgia, Mr. Perdue stressed that Delta’s pursuit of routes in underserved and emerging international markets dovetails nicely with the Global Georgia campaign the state is using to promote itself as a destination for foreign investment.

In that strategy, China is an essential target. An unprecedented economic boom there over the past 30 years has precipitated a flood of goods into Georgia’s ports in Savannah and Brunswick as well as through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. China is now the second-largest purchaser of Georgia exports. Just five years ago, China ranked eighth on that list.

The rapidly growing Georgia-China connection went from cargo to capital on the Georgia side last year, as three major Chinese companies announced plans to build manufacturing centers in Georgia. With the new flight in place, Mr. Perdue hopes that story will become more common.

“We’re going to get some jobs and bring them back to Georgia,” he said.

Participating in the inaugural flight and the festivities in Shanghai only comprises the first leg of the governor’s trip. During his official mission in Beijing, he is to open a Georgia trade office.

While the flight could prove to be a boon for Georgia, it’s also a keen business decision that fits perfectly into Delta’s broader global strategy, said Lee Macenczak, Delta’s executive vice president of sales and marketing.

With a weak dollar, rising fuel costs and slimmer operating margins becoming a reality in the U.S., tapping profitable international routes like Shanghai is critical, he told GlobalAtlanta. in its quest to become a global player, Delta has piled up service to more destinations than any other airline, he said.

At the ceremony, no one mentioned Delta’s merger talks with Northwest Airlines, a deal that would create one of the largest airlines in the world and constitute a formidable presence in China. For at least one day, the fanfare swirled only around Delta, which Mr. Perdue called “our hometown airline.”

But Delta was quick to share the spotlight with the wide range of organizations and individuals that supported the bid for the route, Delta’s third overall attempt at a connection to China and the second from its hub in Atlanta.

“This is something Delta’s wanted to serve for a very, very long time,” said Mr. Macenczak, citing Atlanta and Georgia government officials, Chinese organizations and Delta’s Asia Pacific Employee Network as key backers throughout a process that took almost 10 years.

The Chinese government played one of the most important roles in establishing the flight, paving the way by negotiating the route’s availability with the U.S. Department of Transportation, which awarded Delta the route last September.

Qiao Hong, China’s consul general in Houston, represented her government on the flight. She reiterated China’s support for Delta’s “maiden voyage to Shanghai” and its prospects for bilateral interaction. The flight also provides an important gateway for Chinese companies looking to South America, she said.

“By joining our hands, I’m sure that business will be prosperous and cooperation will be fruitful,” she said.

Other high-profile travelers on the flight included Karen Handel, Georgia secretary of state , Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development; Ben DeCosta, general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson and Hans Gant, senior vice president for economic development at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

Other members of the chamber led a delegation beginning March 21 that is currently visiting eight Chinese cities. Some joined the governor’s delegation in Shanghai.

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