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Farms are the focus
Solano a stop on agriculture tour by officials who want to eradicate poverty in rural China
By SARAH ROHRS/Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
Article Launched:10/21/2006 08:23:38 AM PDT
They want to lift their country's rural citizens out of poverty.

That's one reason a delegation of Chinese toured several Solano County's agriculture businesses Friday, and also talked to county officials about helping the poor and homeless.

Twenty-two visitors from eight Chinese provinces spent the day in Solano County - home to 554 farms - as part of a week-long visit to the United States, officials said. Today, they're scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C.

Most delegates come from China's Poverty Alleviation Office, a hierarchy of government agencies. A Bay Area office, ASM China Corporation, organized their American tour.

Speaking through San Francisco interpreter Allen Lu, delegate chairman Tang Buxin said the group wanted to see Solano County because 'there are a great many agricultural products here, and very good development in the agriculture area.' He is the Poverty Alleviation Office deputy director for the Chongquin Municipal Government.

Buxin added that delegates want to know more about U.S. agriculture policy, and use that knowledge in China to help 'get rid of povert"