It may be an indication of the continuing importance of North American business to China. Or it could be a sign of the growing international stature of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). Whatever the explanation, the professional organization is preparing to host some distinguished visitors from overseas.

When the CSCMP convenes its annual conference in Philadelphia this month, the group will welcome a 40-member delegation of government officials and logistics professionals from the region around Shenzhen, China. The delegation will be led by the city's vice mayor, Zhang Siping.

At a seminar during the conference, Zhang is expected to discuss the role logistics plays in the rapid economic growth of the Pearl River Delta region. (In addition to Shenzhen, the Pearl River Delta includes Hong Kong, Macao, and several other major cities in China's Guangdong Province.) He is also expected to discuss government incentives for logistics developments.

During the same session, Charles Wang, who organized the delegation, will explain bonded logistics zone policies in the region. Wang, who is director of the Research Center for Logistics and Supply Chain Management for the China Development Institute, leads CSCMP's China Roundtable and serves as an editorial board member for CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly, which is published by the parent company of DC VELOCITY.