Oakland Mayor backs out of China trip

Unlike other politicians in California, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums is concerned about the possibility of a conflict of interest and will not travel to China as part of a trade mission. According to the Oakland Tribune:

The mayor wanted the trip to take a holistic approach, with Chinese officials presented with a united front of federal, state and local officials working to ensure the Port of Oakland and the Bay Area benefits from the growth of China’s economy, said spokeswoman Karen Stevenson. The mayor’s decision followed the announcement Friday that U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, would not be able to go on the trip. “The mayor envisioned a multijurisdictional collaboration that wasn’t coming together,” Stevenson said. Jose Duenas, president of the Bay Area World Trade Center, organizer of the trip, said the trade mission would be rescheduled. Government watchdog groups said it was inappropriate for the trade group to pay the mayor’s way, because the trip would offer tremendous access and could make Dellums more likely to back their proposals.