Chinese government officials are very meticulous when it comes to protocol, we were told. So our delegation see to it that we took the coaster in the order of seniority of rank, including disembarkation.

With more reason that we observed protocol upon reaching the 12th floor of the 14-storey Shishi city hall at around 9 o'clock Monday morning (Dec. 18).

At the conference hall, we formally took our seats with yours truly acting as the delegation spokesman and was seated side by side with Majority Floorleader Edgar Bompat, 2nd termer Councilor Edgar Lo Kapirig and neophyte Councilor Nerio Zamora II.

Beside us were City Administrator Walter Toston and City Legal Officer Doni Piquero. Mr. Beng Co acted as our interpreter while Mr. Lin, one of our Chinese hosts, acted as part of our retinue.

By virtue of protocol, our delegation was met by a counterpart in the city officialdom of Shishi in the person of He Jing Xi, member of the Standing committee and secretary of the Political-Legal Committee of the Shishi Municipal Committee of the Chinse Communist Party (CPC), an equivalent rank of city councilor, who was accompanied by Yang Li Ying, director of the Bureau of Overseas Chinese Affairs of the Peoples Government of Shishi City.

Our talks ranged from urban planning and investment prospects considering that Shishi is considered as an RTC city in China. We did not talk about local legislation as the Shishi municipal government simply implements the thrusts and programs of the executive committee of the Peoples Republic of China headed by the Chairman and the Secretary General who are both ranking members of the central committee of the Chinese communist Party.

After almost two hours of bilateral talks, we proceeded to the Jose Rizal Memorial Garden which is even bigger in area than Luneta. Mr. He and Ms. Yang joined us in a formal lunch at the Hao Fua Hotel courtesy of the Shishi City government. It was a fine dining that our delegation was mesmerized by the taste of the ultimate Chinese cuisine.

In the afternoon, we took a 30-minute ride to Jinjiang City, the counterpart of Marikina when it comes to the shoe industry. The city also produces car accessories including tires.

There, our delegation met the top officials of the Returned Overseas Chinese Federation headed by Vice-Chairman Wang Shi Jing and Deputy Chairman Wang Qing Zhe.

Even during our private meeting, a representative from the communist party, Shi Wei Qun who is the director of the United Front Development of the Chinese Communist Party and commission of the Union of Youth Jinjiang.

In our talks, we relayed to the federation the presence of Chinese businessmen in Tagbilaran who already retired back to Jinjiang. We also extended our invitation for investment opportunities in Tagbilaran for their shoes and tires.

The federation hosted our dinner in one of the finest hotels in Jingjiang before we went back to Shishi later in the evening.

On Tuesday morning, we visited the government business malls before we took a two-hour shopping spree in the cities suburds. After lunch, we traveled back to Xiamen where we took our return flight to Manila at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.

Our Cebu Pacific Xiamen-Manila flight arrived past 7 o'clock Tuesday evening. The following morning, we were already in Tagbilaran in time for the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlugsod.

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