By Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin
Published on 12/1/2006
The Examiner
Yeas and Nays
D.C. wants the Olympics (in 2016) and China’s got ’em (in 2008).
So it would behoove interested Washingtonians to learn a thing or two from the Chinese about how to bring the Olympics to your neck of the woods.
Well, such a meeting took place Sunday at — where else? — a sporting venue.
During the Redskins game, Minister Zheng Zeguang, the deputy chief of mission of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, and Mark Tuohey, chairman of the D.C. Sports & Entertainment Commission, met in the Lehman Brothers luxury suite at FedEx Field.
“We had a very engaging chat,” Tuohey said, “and we agreed to develop a relationship.” Zeguang said he would help coordinate meetings with relevant contacts in China and Tuohey is working on setting up a meeting with Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty.
For Zeguang, his interest lies in understanding the relationship between sports and society as his country sees its sports industry blossom.
Tuohey says Washington is interested in learning how China is planning to develop new facilities and transportation.
“I just think it creates all kinds of interesting intersections for both of us: the District and the Chinese government,” he said.
