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Larry Joseph of the Gitxsan Treaty Office after returning from China writes:

"Jet lag and a bad cold overcame me during my return flight home from Beijing on Tuesday, November 19. Although I have slept for a long time since my return, my energy level remains low because of the cold.

The Forest Minister of BC invited a Gitxsan representative to join him on a Trade Mission to China. Since forestry is my expertise, I was asked to represent the interests of the Gitxsan, the aboriginal peoples in the Hazelton area. My trip, thus, was for business. However, I took every opportunity to enjoy China while I was there.

A hectic, whirlwind schedule ensued during our trade delegation's travel through China. Shanghai, Guangzhou (Canton) and Beijing were my travel destinations. The economy in all of these cities are booming. Official figures call for an 8% increase in China's GDP this year but experts I talked to said official figures considerably underestimate growth. Word on the street is that the GDP will grow by 11 to 13% this year!

Shanghai has an official population of 17 million. However, a Englishman shipbuilder told me, at the pinnacale of the third highest structure on earth in Shangahai, that 6 million guest construction workers are not included in the figure. Hence, the true population in Shanghai is around 24 million! Almost the entire population of Canada is compressed into this small area near the Yangzi (Yellow) River Delta! What is more, some 200 million people live within a 2 hour drive of hanghai. My guess is that a population equal to the population of the USA lives within a 3 hour drive of Shanghai. This population density staggers me! All in all, China today is a beehive of activity and excitement and I loved it! I look forward to sharing stories with you about my adventures."