New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will fly to China and Indonesia the week of Dec. 9, the New York Times reported on Thursday.
Bloomberg will take along Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey, who has been promoting his presidential prospects almost since the mayor was re-elected in 2005. The mayor is also bringing his companion, Diana Taylor.
Bloomberg's latest itinerary sparked new speculation that the mayor may have an eye on the White House.
His official trips have taken him to Mexico, Paris and London as well as New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Seattle and St. Louis earlier this year.
Concerning his trip to China, Bloomberg said at a news conference Wednesday: "We have an enormous Chinese population here. We're a major trading partner - not just the country, but New York City, and there are a number of issues that we have."
Attempting to strike a lighter note, Mr. Bloomberg added, "Not to mention the fact that maybe my daughter will be in the Olympics, although I don't think so."
Bloomberg's younger daughter, Georgina, may join the equestrian show jumping team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
The paper quoted his aides as saying that many details of the China trip were unsettled, but that the mayor would speak in Beijing on Dec. 10 at a conference, sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the U.S. Commerce and State Departments, on innovative societies.
The next day, Bloomberg is to speak on economic competitiveness at an undetermined location, with an event to follow on Dec. 12 at the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
On Dec. 13, he will travel to Indonesia. The next day, on the Bali island, the mayor will speak at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Source: Xinhua
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