(1st letter)

I do not agree with critics who say the Mayor Richard Riordan’s trade efforts (“Riordan’s trade troubles,” Jan. 27) fall short and that Tina Choi has not been of any help to further our foreign trade.

The Los Angeles-Guangzhou Sister City Association has a primary charge of helping to develop trade between Los Angeles and Guangzhou, China. However, our organization also acts as host to major delegations from all over China who visit Los Angeles.

Mayor Riordan and his office have been most helpful in every instance with these delegations. As an example, the Mayor of Guangzhou came to Los Angeles with a delegation of 400 businessmen. Mayor Riordan came to the conference at 8 a.m. for a panel on the importance of trade. As a matter of fact, he stayed for the entire morning, as did Tina Choi, meeting with individual groups of delegates.

At other times, Mayor Riordan met with heads of other delegations, discussing the importance of trade between China and the United States and Los Angeles in particular.

On other occasions Katrina Leung, our president, has worked with Tina Choi, who helped with other delegations and business people.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and his chief of protocol, Bee Canterbury Lavery, helped to found the Los Angeles-Guangzhou Sister City Association and to “open the door” to China during Bradley’s 20 years in office.

Since then, the numbers of delegations visiting Los Angeles has grown tremendously, as has foreign trade between Los Angeles and foreign countries.

Mayor Riordan certainly is conscious of the importance of international trade for our city and continues to fulfill his duties as Mayor of Los Angeles.

CAROLINE L. AHMANSON

Chairman

Los Angeles-Guangzhou Sister City Association

Downtown Los Angeles